The ethics of energy transitions

Energy transitions raise significant questions of ethics and justice. This is particularly true today as the US and the world contemplate large-scale transformations of energy systems: the greening of energy production, the construction of smart grids and the rise of big data in energy services, the creation of electric and hybrid-electric vehicles, and the rise of unconventional oil and gas. These transitions have the potential to influence not only energy production and delivery but also the social, economic, and political organization of the energy sector. Even more fundamental issues may also be at stake as individuals and communities reconfigure values, behaviors, relationships, and institutions around new energy technologies. This article defines the ethics of energy transitions, examines its major components, highlights the relationship between ethics, energy, and human thriving, and suggests strategies for the energy sector to use to factor ethics more fully into the design and planning of energy change.