Energy policy

Access to energy is critical for basic social needs, such as lighting, heating, cooking, and healthcare. Given the importance of energy, the price of energy has a direct effect on jobs, economic productivity, business competitiveness, and the cost of goods and services.

Frequently the dominant issue of energy policy is the risk of supply-demand mismatch (see: energy crisis). Current energy policies also address environmental issues (see: climate change), particularly challenging because of the need to reconcile global objectives and international rules with domestic needs and laws.{{cite journal |last1=Farah |first1=Paolo Davide |last2=Rossi |first2=Piercarlo |date=December 2, 2011 |title=National Energy Policies and Energy Security in the Context of Climate Change and Global Environmental Risks: A Theoretical Framework for Reconciling Domestic and International Law Through a Multiscalar and Multilevel Approach |journal=European Energy and Environmental Law Review |volume=2 |issue=6 |pages=232–244 |ssrn=1970698}}

The "human dimensions" of energy use are of increasing interest to business, utilities, and policymakers. Using the social sciences to gain insights into energy consumer behavior can help policymakers to make better decisions about broad-based climate and energy options.{{Cite web |title=Nudge • Nudging consumers towards energy efficiency through behavioural science |url=https://www.nudgeproject.eu/ |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=Nudge |language=en-US}} This could facilitate more efficient energy use, renewable-energy commercialization, and carbon-emission reductions.Robert C. Armstrong, Catherine Wolfram, Robert Gross, Nathan S. Lewis, and M.V. Ramana et al., "The Frontiers of Energy", Nature Energy, Vol 1, 11 January 2016.

{{See also|Sustainable energy#Government policies}}

The attributes of energy policy may include legislation, international treaties, incentives to investment, guidelines for energy conservation, taxation and other public policy techniques. Economic and energy modelling can be used by governmental or inter-governmental bodies as an advisory and analysis tool.

Energy planning is more detailed than energy policy.

Some governments state an explicit energy policy. Others do not but in any case, each government practices some type of energy policy. A national energy policy comprises a set of measures involving that country's laws, treaties and agency directives.

There are a number of elements that are contained in a national energy policy. Some important elements intrinsic to an energy policy include:{{Cite book |last=Hamilton |first=Michael S |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781317471479 |title=Energy Policy Analysis: A Conceptual Framework |date=2014 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-47147-9 |edition=0 |language=en |doi=10.4324/9781315704647}}

• What is the extent of energy self-sufficiency for this nation
• Where future energy sources will derive
• How future energy will be consumed (e.g. among sectors)
• What are the goals for future energy intensity, ratio of energy consumed to GDP
• How can the national policy drive province, state and municipal functions
• What specific mechanisms (e.g. taxes, incentives, manufacturing standards) are in place to implement the total policy
• Do you want to develop and promote a plan for how to get the world to net zero emissions?
• What fiscal policies related to energy products and services should be used (taxes, exemptions, subsidies, etc.)?
• What legislation affecting energy use, such as efficiency standards, emission standards, is needed?

{{Further|climate change policy|environmental policy}}

Energy policy sometimes dominates and sometimes is dominated by other government policies. For example energy policy may dominate, supplying free coal to poor families and schools thus supporting social policy,{{Cite web |date=2022-05-31 |title=WB-6 countries struggling to secure electricity production in their old coal power plants |url=https://balkangreenenergynews.com/wb-6-countries-struggling-to-secure-electricity-production-in-their-old-coal-power-plants/ |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=Balkan Green Energy News |language=en-US}} but thus causing air pollution and so impeding heath policy and environmental policy.{{Cite web |title=Health and climate change: country profile 2022: Turkey - Turkey {{!}} ReliefWeb |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/turkey/health-and-climate-change-country-profile-2022-turkey |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=reliefweb.int |language=en}}{{Rp|page=13}} On the other hand energy policy may be dominated by defense policy, for example some counties started building expensive nuclear power plants to supply material for bombs.{{Cite web |title=The links between nuclear power and nuclear weapons - |url=https://cnduk.org/resources/links-nuclear-power-nuclear-weapons/ |access-date=2022-06-04 |language=en-GB}} Or defense policy may be dominated for a while, eventually resulting in stranded assets, such as Nord Stream 2.

Energy policy is closely related to climate change policy because totalled worldwide the energy sector emits more greenhouse gas than other sectors.{{Cite web |title=Climate change – Topics |url=https://www.iea.org/topics/climate-change |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=IEA |language=en-GB}}

Energy policy decisions are sometimes not taken democratically.{{Cite web |last=Kasturi |first=Charu Sudan |title=Kazakhstan unrest highlights tricky terrain of fuel subsidy cuts |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/1/13/kazahstan-unrest-highlights-tricky-terrain-of-fuel-subsidy-cuts |access-date=2022-01-15 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}

In 2019, some companies “have committed to set climate targets across their operations and value chains aligned with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and reaching net-zero emissions by no later than 2050”.{{Cite web |date=22 September 2019 |title=87 Major Companies Lead the Way Towards a 1.5°C Future at UN Climate Action Summit |url=https://unfccc.int/news/87-major-companies-lead-the-way-towards-a-15degc-future-at-un-climate-action-summit |access-date=11 May 2020 |website=UNFCCC}} Corporate power purchase agreements can kickstart renewable energy projects,{{Cite journal |last=Christophers |first=Brett |date=2022-05-19 |title=Taking Renewables to Market: Prospects for the After-Subsidy Energy Transition: The 2021 Antipode RGS-IBG Lecture |journal=Antipode |language=en |pages=anti.12847 |doi=10.1111/anti.12847 |s2cid=248939579 |issn=0066-4812|doi-access=free }} but the energy policies of some countries do not allow or discourage them.{{Cite web |title=PPA structures and parties involved around the world - DLA Piper Corporate PPAs |url=https://www.dlapiperintelligence.com/corporateppa/countries/ |access-date=2022-06-01 |website=www.dlapiperintelligence.com}}

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Energy policies vary by country, see tables below.

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{{Portal|Energy|Renewable energy}}

• Energy balance
• Energy industry
• Energy security
• Energy supply
• Energy transition
• Environmental policy
• Petroleum politics
• Sustainable energy
• {{in title|Energy policy of}}

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{{Commons category|Energy policy}}

• [https://www.iea.org/policies/about "Energy Policies of (Country x)" series], International Energy Agency
• [http://esa.un.org/un-energy UN-Energy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110625024206/http://esa.un.org/un-energy/ |date=2011-06-25 }} - Global energy policy co-ordination
• [http://www.ren21.net Renewable Energy Policy Network (REN21)]
• [http://www.enerdata.net/enerdatauk/knowledge/eshop/market-report-by-category.php Information on energy institutions, policies and local energy companies by country, Enerdata Publications]

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Category:Energy economics

Category:Environmental social science

Category:Climate change policy