Theresa Jedd gave an invited talk on U.S. politics and the energy transition on as part of the micro-module Energy Innovation Across the Globe hosted by the University of Stavanger, which is part of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU). Her talk provided insight into partisan politics in the federalist context.
She explained how topics like innovation, economic growth, consumption, supply chains, and sector-based research have been addressed across sub-national to international levels of governance. Some features of the U.S. energy transition have proceeded in waves of progress followed by inaction or reversal, as reflected by changing levels of presidential support for renewable energy since the late 1970s, or wavering ratification of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change since the mid 1990s.
There are, however, some steadier elements such as the Energy Efficiency Resource Standards held by more than half of states, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and state emissions reduction targets. Some trends seem promising: the U.S. is increasing its energy productivity, the ratio of economic growth to primary energy consumption. Scholars have still been looking for a turning point in achieving national political alignment.
A recent national policy, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, is an attempt to achieve multiple political aims: investing in environmental programs but also addressing inflation and the national deficit. Dr. Jedd concluded that it remains to be seen whether the U.S. can effectively reduce emissions by turning to electrification in manufacturing and transportation.