Ecological Modernisation and renewables David Toke, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Policy, University of Birmingham

Electricity regime – niche market?

Ecological modernisation Mainstream technology-market focus (Mol, Huber, Janicke etc) Critical social movement deliberative focus (Hajer, Christoff)

social movement activity in Renewable Energy Idealism as an initial substitute for economic rationality (bridge to EM) Cosmology, technology, organisation (Jamison)

Cosmology

German Biogas Association

Danish ‘bricolage’ (Karnoe) Energy crisis, anti-nuclear ideals Danish rural co-op tradition Sharing knowledge for common good

Marine Current Turbines

Intermediate technology (Schumacher)

Power from below ‘co-evolution’ of technology (Geels 2004) Uses as renewable energy producers

Pelamis Wave Power

Explanations for outcomes Ross (1997) Watt (1998) Winskel (2007)

Conventional industry Industrial based design Maximised economic return Patent based knowledge protection

1990 German Solar p.v Danish Wind power 2008 UK Wave power 2008 UK Tidal stream power Physical terrainLand sea Degree of popular access for deployment Very highModerate/highNegligible Status of existing model Existing prototype No pre-existing model Partially pre- existing model Social/political landscape High support Electricity industry support Low support Recent moderate support (formerly low support) Technological frame High sciencePopular/craftHigh scienceinitially Intermediate Technology

Implications for policy R&D support for in-situ machines Regime access with initial generous support Start small, evolve bigger (Schumpeter) ‘Bottom up’/non-regime actors are very important

Implications for theory EM involves social movements in developing technology (van der Poel) Idealism as a institution Importance of users as generators EM has stages of development

Renewable as mainstream ‘We need to bring about a revolution in the way energy is produced …..Imagine you are pin-striped revolutionaries in the spirit of Che Guevara on the Sierra Madre’ Mike O’Brien, Minister for Energy 29/03/09