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The importance of managing political and societal factors in the UK’s energy transition
14 October 2021
Political and societal factors play critical roles in the energy transition - this briefing shares recommendations to inform governance using TEMPEST, a new energy model developed by UCL Energy Institute.
Due to the many uncertainties in the energy transition process, expected policy outcomes are not always achieved. This briefing, authored by Rachel Freeman, Senior Research Fellow in Energy Transitions at UCL Energy Institute and Neil Strachan, Director and Professor in Energy Economics and Modelling at UCL Energy Institute, meets a growing interest in exploring the social and political viability of transition pathways, considering the financial, political, social costs and how they might be borne.
The briefing introduces TEMPEST, a new multi-scale model of the UK’s energy demand and supply system. Its design was informed by historical evidence about how and why changes in the energy system occur and academic theories on socio-technical transition. Use of this model feeds into the recommendations for governance strategy outlined in this briefing.