Reading 3

• Energy shapes daily life through the ways people work and rest, it powers services, warms homes, creates cities and allows for the global trade network. The practices of energy use also lead to negative consequences, e.g. the accumulation of waste, air and water pollution and land/resource vulnerabilities. (Bridge, et al., 2018)
• Pollution and other risks from energy production and consumption constrain the life chances of many but have less of an impact on those who benefit the most from energy. (Bridge, et al., 2018)
• Energy is crucial for transport, cooking, light and heating which are all essential for modern life. However, emissions from power stations, factories and vehicles are estimated to kill around 7 million people worldwide, with cities particularly affected. (Bridge, et al., 2018)
• The implication of growing energy demand for water resources is a concern, and limits the extraction and processing of fuels, irrigation water for biomass, and cooling at thermoelectric generators (Bridge, et al., 2018)
• Decarbonisation strategies involving nuclear power, biomass and CCS are likely to intensify water demand. Wind and solar power are likely to decrease water abstraction, however, are less efficient. (Bridge, et al., 2018)
• An estimated 1.1bn people lack access to electricity. The number of people without access has decreased slowly over time, despite population growth, however more and more people have no access to cooking fuels. (Bridge, et al., 2018)
• Around 85% of people have access to electricity, however there are disparities between well-served urban areas and remote rural area. Increasing energy access will enable the empowerment of women through labour productivity and falling fertility rates, so this goal is important for improving economic growth, social equity and sustainability (Bridge, et al., 2018)
• Many people around the world cannot count on a reliable and consistent supply of energy – in Nigeria, 96% of households have an electrical connection but only 18% function more than half the time. An inadequate supply of energy undermines economic productivity, causes loss of products and data and increases inequalities. An estimated $60tn US dollars of investment is needed to meet increases in energy demand with a quarter going towards energy efficiency (Bridge, et al., 2018)
• There are many different models of energy ownership

  • Community owned
  • Public ownership by the state
  • Private corporations controlled by shareholders

  (Bridge, et al., 2018)
• The growth of decentralised renewable energy has caused an interest in decentralised renewable energy, and dissatisfaction with the status quo is pushing a drive to alternative models of energy ownership, e.g. community wind farms (Bridge, et al., 2018)
• A critical perspective on energy is focused on understanding how social and material conditions shape energy. It includes social context in order to understand the ways in which energy can enable improvement in social and environmental conditions (Bridge, et al., 2018)
• Geography is central to issues of energy, particularly through inequalities in space across a range of scales. The Global South has a more limited access to energy than the North, and also indigenous communities on the US Great Plains have felt much greater effects of uranium mining for nuclear power plants. Patterns of energy also underpin the spatial and material forms of cities, manufacturing and consumption (Bridge, et al., 2018)
• Distinct narratives are emerging that seek to shape the trajectories of energy systems in particular directions, notably low-carbon transitions to reduce GHG emissions, and energy for development (Bridge, et al, 2018)
• Fossil fuel futures continue to be advocated as essential for secure and affordable energy systems. In contrast, other narratives suggest the need for reduced consumption to ensure the future of scarce resources. (Bridge, et al 2018)
• Low-carbon transitions have grown in popularity in recent decades, and in the UK generally means higher resource productivity with less pollution and the use of fewer unsustainable natural resources. (Bridge, et al, 2018)
• Low-carbon transitions are not always smooth – Germany’s 2010 plan for energy transition was impacted by the 2011 Fukushima disaster, after which all 17 German nuclear power plants were phased out. Instead, renewable sources are intended to make up 60% of Germany’s energy supply. (Bridge, et al, 2018)
• Low-carbon transitions exist in sub-national and city government, companies, and communities – e.g. HSBC became the first carbon neutral bank in 2005. (Bridge, et al, 2018)
• The low carbon transition is impactful for advocating affordable and sustainable access to energy, particularly in critical economic sectors. Low carbon and renewable energy systems have come to be central to many development projects, e.g. through cookstoves which burn traditional fuels more efficiently or use alternative resources (Bridge, et al, 2018)
• Governments and industries continue to invest in fossil fuels reserves for economic growth and national development. Fossil fuels are still used heavily in South Africa, a fast growing country, through the Medupi station which provides 4,800MW of coal-powered energy – 10% of the country’s electricity, but also generating more GHG emissions than the 63 lowest emitting countries combined (Bridge, et al, 2018)
• Energy justice is central to social justice- social justice cannot be achieved without involving energy (Bridge, et al, 2018)
• The Energy Trilemma is three key goals needed for energy transition to be viable:

  • Security
  • Sustainability
  • Affordability
  • Bridge, et al, 2018
• The energy trilemma goals all involve a change to the status quo and different, sometimes conflicting interests. Since social power is unevenly distributed, different interest groups have different levels of power in terms of their ability to shape and influence a transition. Some of these elements are absolutes – e.g. ecosystem integrity – so cannot be traded off. This means that collaboration, conflict, and cooperation are required to enable a transition (Bridge, et al, 2018)