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No Smooth, Managed Pathway to Sustainable Energy Systems – Politics, Materiality and Visions for Wind Turbine and Biogas Technology

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Tackling Long-Term Global Energy Problems

Part of the book series: Environment & Policy ((ENPO,volume 52))

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Abstract

Wind energy and biogas are considered to be economically viable renewable energy solutions to the increasingly acknowledged climate challenge. Political controversy over long-term and short-term goals, changing economic criteria and performance assessments, as well as technical constraints related to design, systems embedding and material agency of the technologies have contributed to the ‘roller coaster’ character of assessments and development. This contribution explores how conflicting relationships between renewable energy technologies based on wind and biomass, as well as institutional and regulatory changes, have shaped the Danish energy system. Important lessons can be learned from case studies on the assessment of technology and its anticipated properties, the role of alliances and predictions for change, as well as the need for the continued modification of energy innovation strategies and regulatory policies in a climate of continued controversy over means and ends.

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Correspondence to Ulrik Jørgensen .

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Jørgensen, U. (2012). No Smooth, Managed Pathway to Sustainable Energy Systems – Politics, Materiality and Visions for Wind Turbine and Biogas Technology. In: Spreng, D., Flüeler, T., Goldblatt, D., Minsch, J. (eds) Tackling Long-Term Global Energy Problems. Environment & Policy, vol 52. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2333-7_9

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