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Renewing the subterranean energy regime? : How petroculture obscures the materiality of deep geothermal energy technology in Sweden

Roos, Andreas LU (2024) In Ecological Economics 219.
Abstract
Social visions to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources have motivated unprecedented growth in global renewable energy manufacturing. Previous literature shows that people committed to realizing such visions have difficulties reconciling with the negative social-ecological impacts of this mass production even if it presents a formidable challenge to a socially just and ecologically sustainable energy transition. This study contributes to a better understanding of how stakeholders view the promises and perils of large-scale renewable energy development. It draws on the petroculture literature to understand how stakeholder viewpoints of deep geothermal energy technology may be a product of the historically unparalleled energy... (More)
Social visions to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources have motivated unprecedented growth in global renewable energy manufacturing. Previous literature shows that people committed to realizing such visions have difficulties reconciling with the negative social-ecological impacts of this mass production even if it presents a formidable challenge to a socially just and ecologically sustainable energy transition. This study contributes to a better understanding of how stakeholders view the promises and perils of large-scale renewable energy development. It draws on the petroculture literature to understand how stakeholder viewpoints of deep geothermal energy technology may be a product of the historically unparalleled energy throughput since the mid-20th century. The study relies on Q-methodology for identifying viewpoints among stakeholders in deep geothermal energy in Sweden. The results demonstrate a notable influence of petrocultural assumptions, which helps to explain how stakeholders obfuscate the materiality of renewable energy technologies. This suggests that social visions to replace fossil fuels with technologically sophisticated renewable energy systems could themselves be cultural products of the fossil era inclined to reproduce it. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Deep geothermal energy, petroculture, Q-methodology, energy transition, social metabolism, enhanced geothermal systems (EGS)
in
Ecological Economics
volume
219
article number
108129
publisher
Elsevier
ISSN
0921-8009
DOI
10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108129
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
17606ccb-525f-4604-9c4d-5f56a11b1ac1
date added to LUP
2023-06-15 16:56:21
date last changed
2024-02-07 08:58:28
@article{17606ccb-525f-4604-9c4d-5f56a11b1ac1,
  abstract     = {{Social visions to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources have motivated unprecedented growth in global renewable energy manufacturing. Previous literature shows that people committed to realizing such visions have difficulties reconciling with the negative social-ecological impacts of this mass production even if it presents a formidable challenge to a socially just and ecologically sustainable energy transition. This study contributes to a better understanding of how stakeholders view the promises and perils of large-scale renewable energy development. It draws on the petroculture literature to understand how stakeholder viewpoints of deep geothermal energy technology may be a product of the historically unparalleled energy throughput since the mid-20th century. The study relies on Q-methodology for identifying viewpoints among stakeholders in deep geothermal energy in Sweden. The results demonstrate a notable influence of petrocultural assumptions, which helps to explain how stakeholders obfuscate the materiality of renewable energy technologies. This suggests that social visions to replace fossil fuels with technologically sophisticated renewable energy systems could themselves be cultural products of the fossil era inclined to reproduce it.}},
  author       = {{Roos, Andreas}},
  issn         = {{0921-8009}},
  keywords     = {{Deep geothermal energy; petroculture; Q-methodology; energy transition; social metabolism; enhanced geothermal systems (EGS)}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Ecological Economics}},
  title        = {{Renewing the subterranean energy regime? : How petroculture obscures the materiality of deep geothermal energy technology in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108129}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108129}},
  volume       = {{219}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}