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Renewable energy in Australia: a wider policy discourse.
- Source :
- Chinese Journal of Population Resources & Environment (Taylor & Francis Ltd); Sep2019, Vol. 17 Issue 3, p241-253, 13p
- Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- This paper assesses the evolution of generation technology-mix in Australia, with specific emphasis on understanding how such evolution has been shaped by wider political and socio-economic influences. This assessment is predicated on the argument that the contemporary, quintessentially techno-economic, policy discourse on renewable energy is deficient, as it ignores climacteric political and socio-economic influences on generation technology-mix. The methodological framework employed in this paper is informed by the core tenets of technological change theory. The assessment suggests that generation technology-mix in Australia has historically been overwhelmingly influenced by the underlying technological paradigm of the electricity industry; and that this technological paradigm essentially draws its imprimatur from the wider political and socio-economic contexts. By implication, it suggests that a rapid uptake of renewables will have widespread ramifications, extending into political, socio-economic and cultural realms of a society. Clearly, existing policy discourse – that tends to focus on technical potentials, cost competitiveness, externalities and risks of various renewable technologies – is deficient. A much broader discourse is needed. This paper also made an attempt to develop a basis for such a discourse by reviewing broader aspects of the Australian society that would be affected by a rapid uptake of renewables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- RENEWABLE energy sources
POLICY discourse
SOCIOECONOMICS
TECHNOLOGICAL innovations
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 10042849
- Volume :
- 17
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Chinese Journal of Population Resources & Environment (Taylor & Francis Ltd)
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 139364498
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/10042857.2019.1638730