
Aleh Cherp
Professor, Coordinator of the MESPOM Consortium

Comparing electricity transitions : A historical analysis of nuclear, wind and solar power in Germany and Japan
Author
Summary, in English
This paper contributes to understanding national variations in using low-carbon electricity sources by comparing the evolution of nuclear, wind and solar power in Germany and Japan. It develops and applies a framework for analyzing low-carbon electricity transitions based on interplay of techno-economic, political and socio-technical processes. We explain why in the 1970s–1980s, the energy paths of the two countries were remarkably similar, but since the 1990s Germany has become a leader in renewables while phasing out nuclear energy, whereas Japan has deployed less renewables while becoming a leader in nuclear power. We link these differences to the faster growth of electricity demand and energy insecurity in Japan, the easier diffusion of onshore wind power technology and the weakening of the nuclear power regime induced by stagnation and competition from coal and renewables in Germany. We show how these changes involve the interplay of five distinct mechanisms which may also play a role in other energy transitions.
Department/s
- The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
Publishing year
2017-02-01
Language
English
Pages
612-628
Publication/Series
Energy Policy
Volume
101
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Elsevier
Topic
- Energy Systems
Keywords
- Energy transitions
- Germany
- Japan
- Nuclear power
- Renewable electricity
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0301-4215