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Contribution short abstract

Drawing on four years of energy research in India, Australia and Germany, this contribution brings to the roundtable aspects of interdisciplinary and comparative work. We argue that this advances discussions, broadens perspectives and allows to disseminate research results beyond the ivory tower.

Contribution long abstract

As an interdisciplinary and international group of researchers, we analysed the current shift to renewable energy, dominated by globalised energy companies building large-scale wind and solar plants. Discussing the consequences and possibilities of this shift in India, Germany, and Australia, we show how centralised models of energy provision are maintained and chart their impacts in terms of energy geography, social stratification, and socio-ecological appropriation. We argue that public provision should be repurposed for distributed renewables, social equity in affected regions, and wider social benefit. Our output in form of books, articles, and popular media technically allows policymakers as well as students and researchers from various fields to better understand the role played by state regulation, financial incentives, and public infrastructure for corporate renewables. Our interdisciplinary output provides fertile building ground for research in – and application of – future energy transitions. In practice, however, we would argue that our radio features, cross-national online conferences, and continuous interaction in the respective fields are more likely to generate some form of impact.