Not your grandpa's energy system? Fossil fuel inheritances in the decarbonization of industrial geographies

This paper develops the concept of fossil fuel inheritances to understand the politics of emerging energy systems. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is frequently touted as necessary for achieving industrial decarbonization targets, yet it may also extend the dominance of fossil fuel industries. This paper argues that another dimension of this debate demands attention: the many ways that carbon capture inherits the legacies of previous fossil fuel eras. This paper approaches CCS as a technological system that is coming into being in particular places and times. Drawing on examples from Pennsylvania (US) and Teesside (UK) we explore how material, discursive, institutional, and epistemic inheritances from earlier fossil fuel eras shape emerging CCS formations. Both are places that have long hosted fossil fuel industries and are now positioned at the lead of CCS development. We argue that the concept of fossil fuel inheritances provides a multidimensional perspective on the process of change and suggests new narratives and entry points for more just and sustainable energy futures.