Rethinking energy innovation and social science

Managing climate change will require massive innovation in the technological infrastructure for producing and using energy. Private market forces have driven the innovations that led to similar transitions in the past. However, because the value of mitigating the climate change is a public good, unaided private markets are not likely to produce the innovations needed to respond to a climate-driven transition. As a result, social sciences should play an important role in stimulating change in two ways. One is to influence consumer choice by other than price signals. The limited deployment of economically attractive energy efficiency technologies is an example of this need. The second role for social sciences is to ensure that governance institutions and polices provide a durable but adaptable framework for driving innovation during the long process of changing the energy system. Strategies for social sciences to engage with policy makers in these two areas are suggested.