Political Economies of Energy Transition: Wind and Solar Power in Brazil and South Africa

Classic approaches and themes from the study of international development help us to understand the 21st century environmental - and development - challenge of energy transition. Professor Hochstetler will present case studies of two major emerging powers: Brazil, where wind power has expanded quickly while solar power lags and South Africa, where both wind and solar power have struggled to take off. She will argue that four different political economies - climate change, industrial policy, consumption and distribution, and siting - help account for energy transition. However, coalitions are being built on each of these at the same time, potentially interlocking to reinforce or counter-balance each other. The presentation will examine how these processes work in Brazil and South Africa to create distinct national political economies of energy transition.