An analysis of energy efficiency and renewable energy governance in U.S. states through independent energy administrations
Date
2018
Authors
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Recent United States energy efficiency and renewable energy (EERE) development has transformed state energy governance in the past decade. After restructuring, a new type of energy efficiency and renewable energy administration was established to coordinate resources and networks across state and local jurisdictions. Research into these administrations’ essential role in coordinating resources, information, and networks among stakeholders across sectors can improve our understanding of these new administrations and their network in the current state energy governance. ☐ This dissertation applied both qualitative and quantitative methods to study how independent state EERE administrations developed and collaborated with public sector, private sector, and civil society stakeholders on EERE programs and policies. The conceptual framework in the second chapter presents a general picture for state energy governance that centers on the independent state EERE administration and their governance networks, which include actors across different sectors of society. ☐ The quantitative analysis in the third chapter examines if there is a correlation between the presence of these state administrations and the adoption of new state EERE policies. I construct an Event History Analysis model to estimate the relationship between the presence of a state EERE administration and the adoption of Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) enabling legislation from 2008 to 2013. Results from the event history model show that the existence of a state EERE administration significantly correlated with PACE-enabling legislation adoption. ☐ The case study analyses in the fourth chapter illustrates a detailed governance network for the two independent state EERE administrations, The Energy Trust of Oregon and Efficiency Vermont, and discusses the purpose of their collaborations with different stakeholders for their program operations in each state. ☐ Both the quantitative and qualitative analyses contribute to conceptualizing the independent state EERE administration model and its governance network. By focusing on the independent EERE administration and explaining how this administration structure developed its network, this dissertation connects two strands of state-level energy governance research pertaining to energy administration structure and governance networks.
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Keywords
Applied sciences, Administrations, Efficiency, Energy, Governance, Independent, Renewable, U.S.