Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.5673/sip.61.3.1
Energy Transition between Promises and Realities - A View from the European Semi-periphery
Branko Ančić
orcid.org/0000-0003-1438-2647
; Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Croatia
Tomislav Cik
orcid.org/0009-0005-0360-981X
; Society for Sustainable Development Design, Zagreb, Croatia
Goran Grdenić
orcid.org/0000-0002-6799-8405
; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Department of Energy and Power Systems, Croatia
Ninoslav Holjevac
orcid.org/0000-0001-6570-2757
; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Department of Energy and Power Systems, Croatia
Matija Zidar
orcid.org/0000-0003-2834-3980
; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Department of Energy and Power Systems, Croatia
Abstract
Croatia, like some other EU countries, is poor with fossil fuels while at the same
time has a significant renewable energy potential that is not sufficiently utilized. The current
total energy import is around 50% of overall energy needs, and there is an increase in the share
of renewables. In the electricity sector, an increase is happening due to investments in wind energy
in the last decade, however, the largest share relates to the production from big hydropower
plants stemming from the second half of the 20th century. Considering that Croatia’s coastal
region is positioned in the Mediterranean, the major potential for renewable solar energy is
obvious. The current share of solar energy represents only 1% of current electricity production
and is one of the lowest in the EU. Citizens’ energy initiatives seem to be an important factor
in intensifying the overall process of solarization, thus contributing to speeding up the process of energy transition. However, Croatia, like some other EU countries, has major social and
legislative barriers to achieving this. In the article, we will present the multidimensionality of
these obstacles by exploring energy inequalities in society (i.e. energy poverty issues), regional
differences in citizens’ participation in the solarization processes, and the socio-technical barriers.
We will also examine the potential of citizens’ engagement in energy transition. The data
used for the analyses were collected as part of the ESF project “METER to a better climate”.
Keywords
energy transition; energy poverty; citizens’ energy; socio-technical regime; sociocultural aspects of energy
Hrčak ID:
314502
URI
Publication date:
21.2.2024.
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