| Why have most countries failed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity industry despite growing concerns about global climate change and a recognition of power production's leading role as a greenhouse gas emitter? This dissertation argues that this unfolding failure in global environmental governance stems from a host of domestic political problems common to many countries. For example, since climate change is still a distant problem with proposed solutions entailing significant economic and political costs, leaders are reluctant to draw connections between power industry emissions and climate change, or to promote major energy system changes.; Also, due to the historical intertwining of government and private sector roles in the power industry, the interests of regulators and producers converge in support of the industry's traditional mission of producing low-cost energy, climate considerations aside. This mission is reflected in both the regulatory structures governing the industry and in its long-lived infrastructure worldwide.; Finally, technological constraints play a major role. Acceptable alternatives to fossil-fuel power technologies have not yet been demonstrated on a large scale. Moreover, investments in energy technology research are in sharp decline worldwide, indicating that development of large-scale, non-fossil energy technology remains a low political priority. The state of energy research also suggests that a transformation of the power industry will remain a costly and politically-risky proposition for some time.; This dissertation comprises case studies of the political economy of electricity in the United Kingdom, the United States, and China, all key players in climate change mitigation. With reference to the political challenge of carbon emissions reduction, each case considers the history and structure of the industry, the politics of technology choice, and the relationship between energy and climate policy. It concludes that lasting carbon emissions reductions from the power industry, while necessary, are unlikely to occur soon in any of these countries. While environmentalists' calls for a new global value system emphasizing environmental sustainability may be necessary for long-term planetary well-being, the best that can be hoped for in the short- to mid-term is a technology-based attempt to spur a gradual transition to non-carbon based power systems. |
