The constitution of 'urban' electricity demand

人们普遍认为，要实现净零碳排放目标，就需要对电力的生产、供应和消费方式进行“大规模”改变(BEIS，2017；国家电网，2018)。在这一背景下，“城市”被定位为可以实现净零等气候变化目标的中心地点和规模(Betsill and Bulkeley，2006；Bulkeley等人，2014；BEIS，2017,2019；国家电网，2018)。这一框架是基于学术界内外长期盛行的观点，即城市的社会经济秩序与支撑城市的能源基础设施之间的强烈共生关系(Tarr和Dupuy，1988；Graham和Marvin，2001；Betsill和Bulkeley，2006；Moss，2008；Guy等人，2010；Bulkeley等人，2014；Graham和McFarlane，2015；BEIS，2017,2019；国家电网，2018)。根据这一框架，电力需求和供应是城市现象，可以在城市的规模上重塑，至少部分是在地方当局的要求下重塑。这种城市框架往往忽略了与电力需求的空间构成和排序有关的关键问题，包括不同地点的电力消费是如何以及为什么随着时间的推移而形成的，以及消费的重新排序如何与不同规模的电力系统的管理相关并取决于这一点。在我博士研究的基础上，拟议的工作计划解决了这些困境，这对于试图缓解气候变化是必不可少的。针对所提到的困境，作为奖学金的一部分，我将发展和传播两个清晰的见解和我的博士研究的相关应用。我在论文中得出的见解如下：1)城市电力需求地理位置的重新排序与城市的自然和社会经济结构调整没有明显的关系，特别是在地方当局手中；2)电力供应的管理和组织是在多个规模上形成的，并根据不同的组织挑战和需求总量而形成，这些并不总是与本地化的城市优先事项明确联系。这些见解对那些对能源需求概念化和研究感兴趣的人，以及那些参与以支持缓解气候变化努力的方式缓解和组织能源消耗和供应的人，以及包括城市规划者、政策制定者和网络监管机构在内的人，都有影响。为了实现发展和传播我的研究并建立能源研究生涯的目标，我计划在奖学金期间写三篇学术文章。我将进一步发展我的研究网络，参加两个国际会议，在RGS上发表演讲，并在4S会议上召开一次关于清洁能源过渡的会议。为了建立学术网络和传播我的工作，我还会举办一个学校研究研讨会，并在曼彻斯特的城市研究所担任一个月的访问学者，与我所在领域的学者和利益相关者接触和合作。最后，奖学金提供的资源和时间将被用来加强我的技能和我在学术界以外的研究方向。具体地说，我将承担三个专业培训课程。第一期涉及地理信息系统培训，第二期和第三期侧重于项目管理。这些将支持我如何能够与利益相关者沟通并传达我的研究成果。我还打算召集20名利益相关者参加一个研讨会，讨论城市能源转型和相关挑战。作为这次活动的结果，将编写一份出版物，介绍与清洁能源过渡专题有关的关键交叉挑战和解决办法。为了磨练我的教学技能，我会就与我的主题领域相关的部门模块进行两次客座演讲。

It is widely acknowledged that achieving the net-zero carbon emissions target will require 'large-scale' change in how electricity is generated, supplied and consumed (BEIS, 2017; National Grid, 2018). Within this context, the 'city' has been positioned as a central site and scale through which climate change targets, such as net-zero, could be attained (Betsill and Bulkeley, 2006; Bulkeley et al., 2014; BEIS, 2017, 2019; National Grid, 2018). This framing is based on long-prevalent ideas within and beyond academia about the strong symbiotic relationships between the socio-economic ordering of cities and the energy infrastructures that underwrite them (Tarr and Dupuy, 1988; Graham and Marvin, 2001; Betsill and Bulkeley, 2006; Moss, 2008; Guy et al., 2010; Bulkeley et al., 2014; Graham and McFarlane, 2015; BEIS, 2017, 2019; National Grid, 2018). According to this framing, electricity demand and supply are urban phenomena, which can be reshaped at the scale of the city and at least in part at the behest of local authorities. This urban framing tends to overlook key issues concerning the spatial constitution and ordering of electricity demand, including how and why electricity consumption takes shape in different sites over time, and how the reordering of consumption relates to and depends on the management of the electricity system at different scales. Building on my PhD research, the proposed programme of workaddresses these quandaries, which are imperative for attempts to mitigate climate change.Addressing the quandaries noted, I would develop and disseminate two clear insights and the relatedimplications of my PhD research as part of the fellowship. The insights generated in my thesis are as follows: 1) the reordering of urban electricity-demanding geography is not clearly to do with the physical and socioeconomic restructuring of the city, particularly at the hands of local authorities; 2) the management and organisation of electricity supply takes shape at multiple scales and according to different organisational challenges and aggregations of demand, which are not always clearly linked with localised city priorities. These insights have implications for those interested in conceptualising and studying energy demand, and those, including town planners, policymakers and network regulators, involved in mitigating and organising energy consumption and supply in ways that support efforts to alleviate climate change. To achieve the aim of developing and disseminating my research and establishing a career as an energy researcher, I aim to write three academic articles during the fellowship. I would further develop my research network by participating in two international conferences, providing a presentation at the RGS and convening a session concerning clean energy transitions at 4S. Seeking to build an academic network and disseminate my work, I would also deliver a School Research Seminar and spend a month as a visiting scholar at the Urban Institute in Manchester, engaging and working with scholars and stakeholders in my field. Finally, the resources and time provided by the fellowship would be utilised to bolster my skills and the bearing of my research outside academia. Specifically, I would undertake three professional training courses. The first involving GIS training and the second and third focused on project management. These would support how I am able to communicate with stakeholders and convey my research findings. I also aim to bring together twenty stakeholders for a workshop to discuss urban energy transitions and related challenges. As a result of the event, a publication would be written about key cross-cutting challenges and solutions linked with the topic of clean energy transitions. To hone my teaching skills, I would deliver two guest lectures on department modules related to my topic area.