Postdoctoral Fellowship: Innovation and Environmental Justice in the Clean Tech Space: Measuring Performance and Anticipating Risks of Renewable Energy Technologies

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009(Public Law 111-5). This Science, Technology & Society (STS) Postdoctoral Fellowship project explores the development of metrics to evaluate clean and renewable energy technologies. Metrics such as life cycle analysis, indirect land use change, and carbon footprint are used to evaluate the consequences of renewable energy technologies and to make decisions about which technologies to pursue. But different social actors engage these metrics in different ways. Our primary research questions ask what these performance metrics leave out, and how they anticipate risks. Where do the boundaries get drawn for the life cycle analysis, for example? What factors count in the development, adoption and codification of metrics? The project conducts a broad survey and then focuses on two instances of a renewable energy case study--nanotechnology in solar photovoltaics and biotechnology in biofuels. The project draws on semi-structured interviews, participant observation of industry association meetings, tradeshows and workshops, and convenes focus groups with industry, regulators, and activists. Secondary data will be collected from patents, government reports and hearings, academic publications and conference proceedings, energy policy blogs and venture capital podcasts, and published interviews. The intellectual merits of the project include comprehensive postdoctoral training in the synthesis of emerging frameworks from STS, global commodity chains, and social studies of finance. The significance of this research is understanding: 1) how various metrics gain prominence, 2) what is included and excluded and, 3) how these metrics are used to make strategic decisions. The project promises broader impacts in informing discussions on the new energy economy, "green collar" jobs, and environment, health, and safety policies for emerging technologies. Narrowly construed metrics could miss important societal concerns and opportunities for promoting environmental justice. Failing to evaluate risks could lead to societal apprehension about new energy technologies, potentially slowing investment and innovation.