Overview

The priorities of energy policy, such as security of supply, efficient demand side management, the impacts on the environment, and the economic consequences of global warming, have not substantially changed in the last decade. However, the recent financial turmoil and geopolitical conflicts in sensitive areas, as well as technological innovation and the costs reductions of renewable technologies, have altered the basic conditions and constraints under which solutions are to be searched for. This Special Issue of Energies is dedicated to the analysis of strategies, scenarios, and technical developments that will affect the energy policies of regional and national governments, the work of supranational and intergovernmental institutions, and the investment decisions of the private sector in the near future. This issue will encompasses the following fields, which are to be regarded as broad thematic areas, each of which may include more specialized topics: - Public policy options in the energy sector - Impact of climate policies on the sustainable development of energy systems - Analysis of global warming containment measures apt to increase international consensus - New geopolitical scenarios for security of supply - Development and innovation of infrastructures in the energy sector - Technical advances in energy generation and use - Strategies for the diffusion of energy saving technologies, including corporate investment decisions - Innovative models of demand side management - Financing of energy projects - Analysis of the adequacy of national and international legal frameworks for energy policy - Role of public opinions and of other key stakeholders