Energy Transitions as Political Struggles

This paper offers a critical analysis and extension of dominant policy approaches on the transition to a low carbon economy, suggesting the need to embed that research within a much more political, politicised framework of socio-energy green transformation.It suggests that as a central element socio-energy transformation is a clear recognition of the often ‘dirty politics’ involved in any transition from ‘dirty energy’. Energy transformations are political struggles, not simply technological, market-driven policy decisions. It also contends that they are characterised by biophysical/ecological, cultural, political economy and ethical considerations and choices. It argues that political contestation, struggle and antagonism are central to understanding and analysing, as well as effecting low carbon socio-energy transformations. In this the paper argues one cannot neatly separate the analytical from the normative. All seemingly descriptive analyses of energy transitions are also prescriptive, and always already political and ethical.  The paper concludes with the suggestion that the key to energy transformation struggles we contend are strategies to actively delegitimise them (including such recent campaigns as the divestment one) as well as reframe ‘fossil fuels’ as ‘fossil resources’ with multiple, better uses than burning them for energy.Keywords: energy transformation, socio-energy system, politicisation, political struggle, the good life.