ENERGIX-Stort program energi

The project will identify and compare internal and external driving forces and barriers to the transition towards low carbon energy systems in Norway, the US, EU and China, and discuss the relevance for Norwegian energy policy development. All of these co untries are now exploring policy pathways to a low carbon energy future. For the first time, climate and energy policies are addressed simultaneously and linked in the sense that climate policy priorities have implications for the range of available energ y policy alternatives. Conversely, energy policy priorities have implications for the effectiveness of climate policy. Previous energy policy research has mainly studied the technological and economical challenges facing decision makers. In contrast, this project will contribute to the literature by addressing systematically the effects of diverse domestic interests within significantly different policy systems (federal, parliamentary, communist), and the effects of domestic heterogeneity for finding poli tically feasible policy solutions. Applying both case studies and comparative research methodology to analyze the incentive and barrier structures for decision making across these countries we will also contribute new knowledge about the effect of policy diffusion mechanisms for energy policy decisions. Project papers will investigate two complementary theoretical perspectives: 1) The perspective on political feasibility of public policy assumes that energy policy outcome is a response to country-specific political framework conditions. 2) The perspective on policy diffusion says that countries factor in the choices of other governments when they make policy choices. We aim to publish nine peer-reviewed papers in international journals. The project group consists of internationally renowned experts within the field, and will support one post-doc fellowship. All project participants will be involved in networking, conferences, courses and outreach activities.