Political economies of energy transition: wind and solar power in Brazil and South Africa

Abstract

"Wind and solar power are growing at remarkable rates worldwide and driving new industries worth many billions of dollars every year. These developments have eased a possible transition to a lower-carbon energy system, itself crucial for addressing global climate change. Yet as wind and solar power grow beyond minimal levels, they are highly disruptive to existing electricity systems and economies. The analytical starting point for this book is that a renewable energy transition requires a large-scale political economy transition. That is, successful energy transitions mean changing a series of political and economic arrangements even as they also demand new physical infrastructure and patterns of electricity consumption"--