Title
The constitution of 'urban' electricity demand

CoPED ID
0bf9338a-0689-4083-8f02-8891e260b67a

Status
Closed

Funders

Value
£194,496

Start Date
Sept. 30, 2020

End Date
Sept. 29, 2021

Description

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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.

Torik Holmes PI_PER
Torik Holmes FELLOW_PER

Subjects by relevance
  1. Climate changes
  2. Sustainable development
  3. Energy policy
  4. Energy
  5. Emissions
  6. Towns and cities
  7. Change
  8. Energy consumption (energy technology)
  9. Climate policy
  10. Renewable energy sources
  11. Research
  12. Supply of electricity
  13. Environmental effects

Extracted key phrases
  1. Electricity demand
  2. Urban electricity
  3. Urban energy transition
  4. Electricity supply
  5. Energy demand
  6. Electricity consumption
  7. Electricity system
  8. Climate change target
  9. Urban framing
  10. Spatial constitution
  11. Clean energy transition
  12. Urban phenomenon
  13. Bulkeley et al
  14. Different scale
  15. Carbon emission target

Related Pages

UKRI project entry

UK Project Locations