- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- About the Editors
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- The Politics of Energy in a Changing Climate: An Introduction
- Fossil Fuels: A Technical Overview
- Nuclear Power: A Technical Overview
- The Infrastructure for Electricity: A Technical Overview
- Oil and Gas Infrastructure: A Technical Overview
- Renewable Energy: A Technical Overview
- Energy Interdependence
- The Politics of Energy Regionalism
- Energy Politics and Gender
- The Politics of Energy Justice
- The Energy Politics of Corporate Social Responsibility
- The Politics of Energy Security
- Energy and International Conflict
- Energy as an Instrument in Global Politics
- The Politics of Oil Markets
- The Politics of Energy and Climate Change
- The Energy Politics of the United States
- The Energy Politics of North America
- The Energy Politics of the European Union
- The Energy Politics of Russia and Eurasia
- The Energy Politics of China
- The Energy Politics of India
- The Energy Politics of Japan
- The Energy Politics of the Asia-Pacific Region
- The Energy Politics of Brazil
- The Energy Politics of Venezuela
- The Energy Politics of Latin America
- The Energy Politics of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
- The Energy Politics of South Africa
- The Politics of Energy and Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Energy Politics: Research Contributions and Future Directions
- Index
Abstract and Keywords
Electricity infrastructure provides a substrate for modern life through the network of wires, towers, dams, and turbines that literally powers our economic and social practices. Despite its importance, electricity infrastructure is often depoliticized, left to the technical experts and relegated to a solely technical matter of “keeping the lights on” (Kuzemko 2016; Geels 2014). This chapter provides a technical overview of the key elements of an electricity system: demand, generation, transmission, and distribution. It also identifies three important trends and their associated impacts for social scientists: urbanization and future increases in electricity demand, the rise of renewable power generation as a proportion of the energy mix, and a shift to increased grid flexibility and distributed infrastructures. The social implications focus attention on how these trends reflexively interact with issues of justice, political power and mobilization, political economy, and institutional design.
Keywords: electricity infrastructure, energy politics, local electricity, electricity demand, power grid
Christina E. Hoicka, York University
Julie MacArthur, University of Auckland
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- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- About the Editors
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- The Politics of Energy in a Changing Climate: An Introduction
- Fossil Fuels: A Technical Overview
- Nuclear Power: A Technical Overview
- The Infrastructure for Electricity: A Technical Overview
- Oil and Gas Infrastructure: A Technical Overview
- Renewable Energy: A Technical Overview
- Energy Interdependence
- The Politics of Energy Regionalism
- Energy Politics and Gender
- The Politics of Energy Justice
- The Energy Politics of Corporate Social Responsibility
- The Politics of Energy Security
- Energy and International Conflict
- Energy as an Instrument in Global Politics
- The Politics of Oil Markets
- The Politics of Energy and Climate Change
- The Energy Politics of the United States
- The Energy Politics of North America
- The Energy Politics of the European Union
- The Energy Politics of Russia and Eurasia
- The Energy Politics of China
- The Energy Politics of India
- The Energy Politics of Japan
- The Energy Politics of the Asia-Pacific Region
- The Energy Politics of Brazil
- The Energy Politics of Venezuela
- The Energy Politics of Latin America
- The Energy Politics of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
- The Energy Politics of South Africa
- The Politics of Energy and Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Energy Politics: Research Contributions and Future Directions
- Index