The constitution of 'urban' electricity demand

7dea4111-3667-4acf-8e90-551c672d97e7

Closed

ESRC
ESRC
ESRC
ESRC
ESRC

£486,240

Sept. 30, 2020

Sept. 30, 2021

It is widely acknowledged that achieving the net-zero carbon emissions target will require 'large-scale' change in how electricity is generated, supplied and consumed (BEIS, 2017; National Grid, 2018). Within this context, the 'city' has been positioned as a central site and scale through which climate change targets, such as net-zero, could be attained (Betsill and Bulkeley, 2006; Bulkeley et al., 2014; BEIS, 2017, 2019; National Grid, 2018). This framing is based on long-prevalent ideas within and beyond academia about the strong symbiotic relationships between the socio-economic ordering of cities and the energy infrastructures that underwrite them (Tarr and Dupuy, 1988; Graham and Marvin, 2001; Betsill and Bulkeley, 2006; Moss, 2008; Guy et al., 2010; Bulkeley et al., 2014; Graham and McFarlane, 2015; BEIS, 2017, 2019; National Grid, 2018). According to this framing, electricity demand and supply are urban phenomena, which can be reshaped at the scale of the city and at least in part at the behest of local authorities. This urban framing tends to overlook key issues concerning the spatial constitution and ordering of electricity demand, including how and why electricity consumption takes shape in different sites over time, and how the reordering of consumption relates to and depends on the management of the electricity system at different scales. Building on my PhD research, the proposed programme of work
addresses these quandaries, which are imperative for attempts to mitigate climate change.

Addressing the quandaries noted, I would develop and disseminate two clear insights and the related
implications of my PhD research as part of the fellowship. The insights generated in my thesis are as follows: 1) the reordering of urban electricity-demanding geography is not clearly to do with the physical and socioeconomic restructuring of the city, particularly at the hands of local authorities; 2) the management and organisation of electricity supply takes shape at multiple scales and according to different organisational challenges and aggregations of demand, which are not always clearly linked with localised city priorities. These insights have implications for those interested in conceptualising and studying energy demand, and those, including town planners, policymakers and network regulators, involved in mitigating and organising energy consumption and supply in ways that support efforts to alleviate climate change.

To achieve the aim of developing and disseminating my research and establishing a career as an energy researcher, I aim to write three academic articles during the fellowship. I would further develop my research network by participating in two international conferences, providing a presentation at the RGS and convening a session concerning clean energy transitions at 4S. Seeking to build an academic network and disseminate my work, I would also deliver a School Research Seminar and spend a month as a visiting scholar at the Urban Institute in Manchester, engaging and working with scholars and stakeholders in my field.

Finally, the resources and time provided by the fellowship would be utilised to bolster my skills and the bearing of my research outside academia. Specifically, I would undertake three professional training courses. The first involving GIS training and the second and third focused on project management. These would support how I am able to communicate with stakeholders and convey my research findings. I also aim to bring together twenty stakeholders for a workshop to discuss urban energy transitions and related challenges. As a result of the event, a publication would be written about key cross-cutting challenges and solutions linked with the topic of clean energy transitions. To hone my teaching skills, I would deliver two guest lectures on department modules related to my topic area.