State interest as an explanatory factor in the failure of the soft-path energy vision

Despite its prominence in the policy discourse, countries of the world have not adopted soft-path energy policy. Current explanations of this failure look to the nature of different fuels, various barriers in the market and political opposition by hard-path energy industries. Such factors provide only partial explanation. The explanation is incomplete because those factors cannot explain the larger subject of the evolution of fuel types during the past two hundred years. For that, we must add the role of the state, through ownership and regulation, in energy generation. That role has expanded regularly with the evolution of fuel types from coal to oil, electricity and nuclear power, but not with the introduction of new renewables in the 1970s. That pattern is explained by the inherent interest of the state in the use of energy for physical, military force and the fact that new renewables have not had immediate military applications. Although renewable energy is increasing, unless the state is motivated for military reasons to play a greater role, the soft-path vision will continue to languish.

► The subject is the historical interest of the state in energy as a means to enhance its military power. ► The state has played a key role in the emergence of hard-path energy sources, but not renewables. ► The paper argues this is because renewable energy does not have immediate military application. ► This factor of state interest helps explain the failure to date to fully adopt soft-path fuels.