LAC Main Seminar Series: Political Economies of Energy Transition: Wind and Solar Power in Brazil and South Africa
Friday 5 February, 5:00pm
Online Event
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The deadline to register is 5 February at 12 noon
Convener(s): Francesca Lessa, Maryhen Jimenez Morales and Andreza de Souza Santos
Speaker: Kathryn Hochstetler, LSE
Latin Americanists are familiar with the importance of economic transitions, e.g., to neoliberalism, for the region. In this presentation, Hochstetler will show how similar analytical frameworks can be used to study energy transitions, key to global climate outcomes. The presentation will showcase the key ideas of her recent book on wind and solar power in Brazil and South Africa. Wind power has expanded quickly in Brazil, while solar power lags there and both wind and solar power have struggled to take off in South Africa. She argues that the interests and institutions associated with four different political economies - climate change, industrial policy, consumption and distribution, and siting infrastructure projects in local communities - help account for energy transition. Moreover, coalitions are being built on each of these at the same time, potentially interlocking to reinforce or counter-balance each other.