Ecological modernisation of a ‘Cinderella renewable’? The emerging politics of global ocean energy

摘要: Ideologies, instruments and institutions that promote ocean energies (OE), a marine renewable including wave tidal devices technologies, are examined within an ecological modernisation (EM) perspective. EM type arguments provide ideological justification for OE projects, but vulnerable to environmental cost critiques. Already, large barrage projects have faced opposition from environmentalists, even though they offer significant generation capacity. Unlike wind energy, where grassroots activists played vital role, the strongest institutional advocates larger firms, universities, specialist agencies, together with sub-national governments. Regarding instruments, overall amount of subsidies combined political support seems more important than feed-in tariffs. Given backlash against renewables competing offshore sector, it remains unclear whether ‘blue growth’ strategy can what Cinderella renewable.