{"title":"Assessing the level and barriers of cross-border electricity interconnection between China and neighboring countries","authors":"Jing-na Kou , Qi Liu , Rui Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104559","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104559","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cross-border electricity interconnection (CEI) is regarded as a key focus of energy infrastructure connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China and its neighboring countries, in particular, have electricity trade complementarities, with huge exploitable potential and demonstration effects. This paper focuses on the four dimensions of technology-economy-politics-society, selects quantifiable assessment data of the degree of interconnection in the three major neighboring regions (11 countries) from 2013 to 2023, and constructs a CEI evaluation system containing 16 specific indicators through the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method, to quantitatively evaluate the degree of electricity interconnection between the neighboring countries and China and the actual influencing factors. It is found that the development level of CEI between China and its neighboring countries exhibits significant inter-country differences and regional distribution characteristics, with Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia performing better than Central Asia as a whole. The economic dimension is the most significant, accounting for more than 37%, followed by the political and social dimensions. In our view, although the Chinese government and enterprises have made some innovations in CEI initiatives, mechanisms, project planning, and construction, CEI between China and neighboring countries is still facing multiple obstacles in technical, economic, political, and social dimensions, including differences in technical standards, limited financing capacity, political instability, and external geopolitical competition. The CEI under the BRI will be a long-term process characterized by gradualism, rather than an abrupt breakthrough, requiring China to resolve logical contradictions regarding energy security and energy cooperation, and provide more trust and support to neighboring countries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 104559"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146175090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Taryn Waite , Ying Zhang , Stephanie T. Morris , Amy Lauren Lovecraft , Nicholas Parlato , Mengqi Zhao , Meredydd Evans , Jae Edmonds , Magnus de Witt , Jeremy Kasper , Nazar Kholod
{"title":"Understanding regional heterogeneity in energy systems and energy affordability: A polar paradox in Arctic Alaska","authors":"Taryn Waite , Ying Zhang , Stephanie T. Morris , Amy Lauren Lovecraft , Nicholas Parlato , Mengqi Zhao , Meredydd Evans , Jae Edmonds , Magnus de Witt , Jeremy Kasper , Nazar Kholod","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104572","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104572","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fossil fuel extraction plays a major role in Alaska's economy, with taxes and royalties paid by oil producers contributing significantly to revenue at the state and local levels. This dependence on the fossil fuel industry leaves the state and its communities vulnerable to global and regional changes in energy prices. Meanwhile, remote communities in Arctic Alaska face persistent residential energy insecurity due to high fuel prices despite the state's fossil fuel wealth, exemplifying a “polar paradox”. Here, we use a multi-scale framework, which leverages a global, integrated, multi-sector model with U.S. state-level details to analyze how global drivers cascade down to affect local residential energy security under future scenarios. Using the North Slope and Northwest Arctic Boroughs as case studies, we show regional heterogeneity in the two boroughs and how it affects community-level residential energy security outcomes under global drivers. Our analysis takes into account the effects of temperature changes on heating needs and the dynamic response of future residential heating demand given affordability. We find that a global energy transition could have major implications for future Alaska petroleum revenue and local energy affordability. Additionally, the cascading impacts on Arctic Alaska communities could be heterogeneous given differences in existing energy portfolio and subsidies. The multi-scale framework we apply offers a transferable approach for understanding how global energy transitions and environmental change generate differentiated impacts at the local level, with broad relevance for fossil-dependent regions navigating uncertain futures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 104572"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146174683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Till Fladung , Julia Hoffmann , Mathias Mier , Mustafa Ispa
{"title":"The power of plurality: A new taxonomy of actors in the European energy system","authors":"Till Fladung , Julia Hoffmann , Mathias Mier , Mustafa Ispa","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104566","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104566","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The European energy market comprises a diverse range of actors, each with distinct roles and objectives. This paper proposes a taxonomy that categorizes these actors into five groups: governance, grid and transport, supply, demand, and investors. Utilizing a systematic literature review, we identify salient characteristics and distinctions within these groups through analyzing their interconnections and interactions. By systematically mapping energy flows and investment patterns, we present a structured overview of the market’s evolving landscape and its implications for the energy transition. A special focus is the ongoing debate about the necessity of capacity mechanisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 104566"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146174635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Eva de Winkel , Zofia Lukszo , Mark Neerincx , Roel Dobbe
{"title":"The power of assumptions: A literature review on how algorithmic design influences energy justice in electrical distribution grids","authors":"Eva de Winkel , Zofia Lukszo , Mark Neerincx , Roel Dobbe","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104605","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104605","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent energy justice scholarship has argued for the need to reflect more explicitly on the normative assumptions that underpin claims to justice in energy systems. While such reflections increasingly inform energy policy, less attention has been paid to how these assumptions shape the design of algorithmic systems central to energy system planning and operations. This paper explores how normative assumptions in the design of algorithmic systems used to request flexibility from electricity consumers and producers to manage grid congestion may influence distributive justice outcomes. By systematically reviewing the scientific literature presenting such systems, we define two categories of assumptions: (1) <em>scope assumptions</em>, which set the boundaries of the justice analysis by determining which burdens and benefits, scale, subjects, and timeframe are considered relevant; and (2) <em>design assumptions</em>, which specify how these considerations are translated into the structure of algorithmic systems, such as allocation principles, technical problem framing, data availability and evaluation metrics. We find that the particular assumptions adopted within each category determine the distributive outcomes of these algorithmic systems. Recognizing their normative character, we propose that scope assumptions should be informed by context-specific risks of injustice identified by policymakers, while engineers should reflect on and validate their design assumptions in relation to these risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 104605"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147401614","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Oskar Belzons Berthelemot , Jimmy Ehnberg , Göran Berndes
{"title":"Fields for food or electricity: revisiting spatial analysis to evaluate land-use priorities for solar siting in Swedish agricultural landscapes","authors":"Oskar Belzons Berthelemot , Jimmy Ehnberg , Göran Berndes","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104611","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104611","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ground-mounted photovoltaics (GMPV) expansion on agricultural land in Sweden is frequently contested, with several cases settled in court. Analysis of recent rulings and permit applications shows that authorities are determining how to prioritize vital societal interests in food production and renewable-energy deployment while a coherent legal framework remains under development. Developers, meanwhile, concentrate proposals on agricultural land near grid infrastructure, neglecting concerns about food security as well as values and identities embedded in existing landscapes. The landscape-governance lens reveals how landscapes emerge from socio-cultural processes and how conflicts around GMPV are signs of misalignments between socio-technical development and locally anchored land-use preferences. To explore alternatives aligning with social priorities in southern Sweden, we assess the potential for agrivoltaics and GMPV on rewetted agricultural peatlands through a scenario-based GIS approach. By translating the divergent reference frames of developers and regional authorities into parallel land-constraint scenarios, we show that these frames result in sharply different solar capacities (0–172 GW) and consequences for land use. Further, evaluating distance to grid against socio-economic factors shows its unsuitability as a siting criterion. Combining our spatial assessment approach with participatory iterative engagement could empirically capture land-use expectations and landscape values.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 104611"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147401696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Who uses power, who gets microgrids? Uncovering regional trends in energy consumption and microgrid deployment in California","authors":"Anton Rozhkov , Yanchi Jin , Fan Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104617","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104617","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study develops a spatial-statistical framework to examine how the geography of operational microgrid infrastructure co-occurs with residential electricity demand and community context across California. We combine quarterly ZIP-code residential electricity consumption data from major utilities (SCE, PG&E, and SDG&E) with physical, built-environment, and sociodemographic indicators harmonized to a common spatial support through a Geographic Information System (GIS) workflow. Microgrid locations are geocoded to facility-level points from the U.S. Department of Energy registry, enabling kernel density estimation of deployment concentration. Time-series clustering to characterize distinct demand regimes, local hotspot statistics to detect spatial concentrations of energy-use intensity, and multivariate clustering and spatial regression (including geographically weighted regression) were applied to summarize associations between demand, contextual variables, and microgrid presence. Importantly, the analysis is designed to identify spatial “opportunity structures” where existing microgrid assets overlap with elevated residential demand and equity-relevant community characteristics under a socio-technical transition lens and can become a strong lever for building community microgrids for communities in need. Results indicate strong, statewide seasonality in demand with stable cluster ordering over time, and show that associations with homeownership, population density, and racial/ethnic composition are more pronounced than those of temperature or air quality in explaining demand patterns. Microgrids remain concentrated in urban areas and are largely driven by anchor institutions (hospitals, universities, military sites), limiting systematic overlap with community indicators. The proposed framework supports transparent, extensible opportunity mapping for community-oriented microgrid pathways and can be replicated in other states as data availability improves.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 104617"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147401697","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reacting with recognition? Identifying vulnerability, governance and justice in local heat adaptation planning among 83 C40 cities","authors":"Melissa A. Martin","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104577","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104577","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the realities of climate change continue to impact local weather through higher temperatures for longer periods of time, local governments are increasingly tasked with balancing short- and long-term public health and planning efforts which are affected by these increasing temperatures. The burden of extreme heat is not borne equally throughout cities and vulnerable groups are likely to be disproportionately affected, presenting a pervasive problem of distributive injustice. To overcome this, city-level actions should practice recognitional justice, adequately integrating vulnerability into the adaptation context and planning.</div><div>To assess the current state of such recognitional justice, this study presents a content analysis to understand if and how vulnerability is defined and considered among cities involved in the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (<em>n</em> = <em>83</em>), a collaborative program which brings together mayors across the world to work together on a variety of climate policy matters. 74 of the 83 cities include a definition of vulnerability, representing cities across all climates, income brackets and types of heat planning. The results show significant heterogeneity in how recognitional justice is practiced – explicitly naming one or more of fourteen specific vulnerable groups - reflecting the localized approach taken by city governments and the unique needs of individual communities. While 96% of planning documents include definitions of vulnerability and concrete objectives, only 53% explicitly integrate vulnerability into these objectives, suggesting there is still a significant gap between recognitional justice and practice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 104577"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146175202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paula Femenias , Kaj Granath , Martine Buser , Jens Widmark
{"title":"Uncertainties and anticipated disturbances as drivers of tenant relocation in Swedish housing renovation","authors":"Paula Femenias , Kaj Granath , Martine Buser , Jens Widmark","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104556","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104556","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To meet the 2050 climate targets, the renovation rate of existing housing is expected to increase significantly. However, such large-scale renovation efforts have raised concerns about their social implications, particularly relating to disruption and the potential displacement of tenants. This paper aims to deepen the understanding of the social consequences of renovation by exploring whether and for what reasons renovation processes influence households' decision to relocate.</div><div>The study draws on 450 interviews with households in municipally owned housing who chose to relocate from 42 Swedish renovation projects affecting 6993 apartments, and was analysed using both qualitative and statistical methods.</div><div>The study contributes two main results. First, the qualitative analysis identifies disturbances and uncertainties as primary drivers of tenants' relocation. Second, the statistical analysis established relationships between tenants' relocation decisions and factors such as age, the rent per sqm before the renovation, and the extent of the renovation. The research revealed that tenant relocations frequently precede the start of renovation work rather than occurring during construction. The findings emphasise that mitigating renovation-related disruptions is crucial across both minor and comprehensive overhauls to prevent displacement and housing instability. Since most renovation-motivated relocations occur before work begins due to perceived insecurities, the timing and design of communication require particular care.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 104556"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146174632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fission and friction: A systematic review of individual-level determinants of attitudes toward nuclear energy in advanced economies","authors":"Carmen Aina , Samuele Poy","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104587","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104587","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nuclear energy is re-emerging in national decarbonization and energy-security debates, with energy strategy decisions increasingly influenced by public perceptions and societal feedback. This article presents an updated systematic review of research on factors shaping individual attitudes toward nuclear energy in advanced economies (G7 countries, Russia, and China) from 2010 to 2025. Drawing on established theories of nuclear risk perception, it synthesizes evidence on how risk perception, institutional trust, knowledge, values, and socio-demographic factors influence nuclear acceptance. Two determinants emerge as consistently robust: institutional trust and risk perception. Higher trust in regulatory authorities, governments, and industry operators is associated with greater acceptance, while heightened perceptions of safety, health, or waste risks remain the main barriers. Knowledge and demographic factors generally have modest, context-dependent effects, often mediated by values and trust. Major external shocks, such as nuclear accidents, amplify risk salience. By synthesizing this research, the article provides a nuanced understanding of the drivers of individual attitudes toward nuclear energy and discusses their political implications for governance and communication.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 104587"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146174636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rethinking the gender-energy nexus beyond the productive–reproductive binary: A mixed-methods study from rural Madagascar","authors":"Katharina Oemmelen , Ben Page , Tinasoa Rasoarimalala , Priti Parikh","doi":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104609","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.erss.2026.104609","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>It is well established that there is a gendered dimension to accessing, using and understanding renewable energies. Yet, few studies move beyond a ‘women-only’ focus to examine how rural electrification intersects with intra-household dynamics and socio-cultural norms in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper applies an <em>analytical gender lens</em> (Peterson, 2005) to two rural Malagasy communities, drawing on 487 household surveys and six months of qualitative fieldwork. We investigate how access to electric light, appliances, and clean cooking technologies affects men's and women's time use, well-being, and household dynamics. Using a feminist approach that centres the voices of ordinary community members, we critically interrogate conventional gender-energy narratives that frame electrification as a straightforward pathway to reducing women's domestic burden. We argue that the productive-reproductive binary underpinning this rationale fails to capture the interwoven ways in which electricity is used in rural Malagasy households. Our findings show that higher-tier electricity access was associated with increased time spent on both paid and unpaid work – often undertaken in parallel and extending into the night - yet female respondents valued these changes for the greater practicality, autonomy, and agency they afforded. By moving beyond binary framings, this study advances novel insights into the gender-energy nexus and deepens our understanding of the interlinkages between SDG 5 and SDG 7.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48384,"journal":{"name":"Energy Research & Social Science","volume":"133 ","pages":"Article 104609"},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147401632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}