Governing Hybridized Electricity Systems: The Case of Decentralized Electricity in Lebanon

Alix Chaplain () and Éric Verdeil ()
Additional contact information
Alix Chaplain: CERI - Centre de recherches internationales (Sciences Po, CNRS) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Éric Verdeil: CERI - Centre de recherches internationales (Sciences Po, CNRS) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

Post-Print from HAL

Abstract: Policymakers see decentralized electricity supply as a way to both decarbonize energy systems and to fill the gap of electricity access in many countries where strong growth leave the grid lagging behind. This article sheds some light on the case of countries such as Lebanon, where diesel-fueled decentralized electricity systems have existed for years and increasingly coexist with, rather than being replaced by, solar powered systems. It is based on a synthesis of public quantitative data and qualitative information gathered through surveys. The article argues that understanding such dynamics involves an analysis, not only of the technological and socioeconomic determinants of the adoption of decentralized energy technologies but also of the political struggles between the various actors, with a particular focus on corporate actors, and wealthy users. In addition, the article shows how different political temporalities play in reproducing or opening the assemblage of technologies and interests that shape the hybridized energy landscape. The article also shows that hybridization has repercussions on the energy configuration as a whole, both in the evolving market share of each technology but also by deeply fragmenting the access to electricity along social and territorial lines and by pushing essential private actors to disconnect from the grid. As a conclusion, the promises of sustainable transitions need to be critically examined in light of these trends

Keywords: Lebanon; electricity; solar power; distributed energy; diesel generator (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ara, nep-ene and nep-reg
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-03814475v1
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Published in Journal of Urban Technology, 2023, 30 (2), pp.55-78. ⟨10.1080/10630732.2022.2105587⟩

Downloads: (external link)
https://hal.science/hal-03814475v1/document (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03814475

DOI: 10.1080/10630732.2022.2105587

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Post-Print from HAL
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CCSD ().