Political Economies of Energy Transition

'Hochstetler's book takes a comprehensive look at two emerging economies that are in the midst of complex and contested energy transitions. An important and timely contribution, it provides valuable insights for the next generation of renewable energy adopters as we move into the decisive decade for transitioning to a low carbon energy system and mitigating climate change.' Joanna Lewis, Provost's Distinguished Associate Professor and Director, Science, Technology and International Affairs Program, Georgetown University 'Will efforts at a renewable energy transition in emerging economies lead to a green spiral or a negative spiral? Hochstetler's major new book develops a sophisticated framework to understand this question built around exploring climate politics, distributional politics, industrial policy and siting conflicts. Her work is a major conceptual advance in understanding energy and climate politics in the developing world, and a rich empirical treatment of the political economy of energy in South Africa and Brazil.' Navroz K. Dubash, Professor, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi 'By one of the top scholars of political economy of development, this book masterfully compares solar and wind energy and their divergent development trajectories in Brazil and South Africa. Rather than by coherent plan, the shift to renewable energy is more likely, as Hochstetler deftly shows, to involve a series of political struggles by contending coalitions across different policy frames and types of renewable energy. Political Economies of Energy Transition is indispensable reading for students of renewable energy, climate change, and development policy generally.' Ben Ross Schneider, Ford International Professor of Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology