Original scientific paper
THE IMPACT OF STATE POLICY CAPACITY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENERGY POLICY IN GERMANY: A CASE STUDY OF THE ‘NEW ENERGY PARADIGM’
Davor Stipetić
Abstract
Under the circumstances of increasingly visible climate change, most notably
in the phenomenon of global warming, it has become more and more clear
that the energy industry based on the exploitation of fossil fuels has significantly
contributed to this development. Therefore, many countries acknowledge
the need for a policy paradigm shift in the field of energy policy, which
implies an increased relying on renewable energy sources and the improvement
of energy efficiency. The author conducts a case study of Germany – a
forerunner in European efforts to link the energy industry based on renewable
sources and environmental protection, and also on maintaining the security
of energy supply. The paper tests whether this orientation of Germany is
based on its policy capacity – “the ability to marshal the necessary resources
to make intelligent collective choices about and set strategic directions for the
allocation of scarce resources to public ends” (Painter i Pierre, 2005: 2), and
concludes that it is the internal state determinants, rather than policy diffusion,
which have played a central role in Germany’s attainment of a leadership position
in the accomplishment of the “new energy paradigm”.
Keywords
Energy Policy; Germany; Policy Capacity; Policy Diffusion; Renewable Energy Sources
Hrčak ID:
107678
URI
Publication date:
23.9.2013.
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