Arctic energy is at a crossroads. Climate change and advances in renewable energy technologies are setting the foundation for what may be the most significant transition since the industrial revolution; yet energy transitions across the Arctic are highly uneven. Against this backdrop, the Routledge Handbook of Arctic Energy Transition draws together contributions from leading experts in the field to explore the diverse Arctic energy landscape and establish several conceptual themes and frameworks for understanding Arctic energy transitions. The authors emphasize the critical role of planning and governance in achieving sustainable Arctic energy security – from understanding the transaction costs of local energy to the barriers and enablers of the regulatory and institutional environments. They also outline the social value of energy, from establishing the foundational concepts of social value to just transitions in the Arctic. Finally, the chapters situate Arctic energy transitions in the context of global energy security and set an agenda for Arctic energy futures research that supports community-appropriate energy solutions.
This timely handbook will be of great interest to an internationally and professionally diverse audience studying the Arctic and sub-Arctic energy geography itself, as well as in relation to global issues. It will be an essential resource to students and scholars of energy transitions, energy policy, Indigenous rights and justice, international geopolitics, and the human development dimensions of climate change.