Microorganisms are known to be natural oil producers in their cellular compartments. Microorganisms that accumulate more than 20% w/w of lipids on a cell dry weight basis are considered as oleaginous microorganisms. These are capable of synthesizing vast majority of fatty acids from short hydrocarbonated chain (C6) to long hydrocarbonated chain (C36), which may be saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), or polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), depending on the presence and number of double bonds in hydrocarbonated chains. Depending on the fatty acid profile, the oils obtained from oleaginous microorganisms are utilized as feedstock for either biodiesel production or as nutraceuticals. Mainly microalgae, bacteria, and yeasts are involved in the production of biodiesel, whereas thraustochytrids, fungi, and some of the microalgae are well known to be producers of very long-chain PUFA (omega-3 fatty acids). In this review article, the type of oleaginous microorganisms and their expertise in the field of biodiesel or omega-3 fatty acids, advances in metabolic engineering tools for enhanced lipid accumulation, upstream and downstream processing of lipids, including purification of biodiesel and concentration of omega-3 fatty acids are reviewed.

/pdf/an-overview-of-potential-oleaginous-microorganisms-and-their-55mm6lbq3m.pdf

An Overview of Potential Oleaginous Microorganisms and Their Role in Biodiesel and Omega-3 Fatty Acid-Based Industries.

‘Energy democracy’ has evolved from a slogan used by activists demanding a greater say in energy-related decision-making to a term used in policy documents and scholarly literature on energy governance and energy transitions. This article reviews the academic literature using a combination of three methodological elements: (1) keyword searches of major bibliographical databases for quantification purposes; (2) an innovative method referred to as ‘circulation tracing’ to assess impact; and (3) in-depth discussion of the theoretical underpinnings, implications and interconnections of different parts of the literature. A conceptual framework is developed around three divergent understandings of the term ‘energy democracy’: (1) a process driven forwards by a popular movement; (2) an outcome of decarbonisation; and (3) a goal or ideal to which stakeholders aspire. The review also highlights some weaknesses of the literature: fragmentation between its European and American branches, which barely relate to each other; implicit or absent linkages between ‘energy democracy’ and broader theories of democracy; a tendency to idealise societal grassroots; confusion about the roles of the state, private capital and communities; and lack of attention to the threat posed by energy populism. Proponents should not assume that more energy democracy will inherently mean faster decarbonisation, improved energy access or social wellbeing. Finally, more emphasis should be placed on the role of research in providing evidence to ground energy democracy-related analyses and discussions.

Energy democracy as a process, an outcome and a goal: A conceptual review

Implementing a just renewable energy transition: Policy advice for transposing the new European rules for renewable energy communities

The EU has demonstrated increasing commitment to combating climate change. In December 2019, the European Commission published the European Green Deal (EGD) – an evolving, overarching strategy that...

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/07036337.2020.1853117

The Covid-19 crisis: a critical juncture for EU climate policy development?

Environmental concerns have played a key role for institutionalizing energy policy at the level of the European Union. There is thus a tendency in research literature to assume that the objectives of these cognate policy areas are compatible and mutually reinforcing. There have been only few efforts, however, to critically assess the quality of this relationship. The contributions to this mini-special issue reveal that the instruments employed in these two policy fields are markedly different. Environmental policy instruments are mostly based on the command-and-control logic whereas environment-related European energy policy is characterized by the use of 'softer' measures. The second main finding is that despite the centrality of climate change concerns in the rhetoric of the European Commission, an effective integration of environmental goals into energy policy is difficult to achieve.

/pdf/exploring-the-energy-environment-relationship-in-the-eu-ngxhxyx5i4.pdf

Exploring the energy-environment relationship in the EU : perspectives and challenges for theorizing and empirical analysis

In a context of multiple crises, the European Union’s climate and energy policies have become highly politicized and contested. Based on a comparative study of renewable energy policies in ...

/pdf/contested-energy-transition-europeanization-and-authority-6pn0z628hd.pdf

Contested energy transition? Europeanization and authority turns in EU renewable energy policy

/pdf/a-guide-to-eu-renewable-energy-policy-d51f88pemj.pdf

A Guide to EU Renewable Energy Policy

In a context of multiple crises, European Union (EU) energy policy is often identified as one of the few areas still exhibiting strong integration dynamics. However, this policy domain is not exempt from contestation and re-nationalization pressures. This collection seeks to understand better the contradictory integration and fragmentation tendencies by problematizing the notion of authority. While authority lies at the heart of European integration theory, less attention has been given to explaining when and why previously conferred authority becomes contested and how authority conflicts are addressed. In framing this collection, we build on sociological approaches to examine systematically the conferral of authority (what counts as authority and how it comes to be recognized) and its contestation (the types of contestation and strategies for managing authority conflicts). We focus this analytical discussion on the Energy Union, being an example of ‘hybrid area’, which sits uncomfortably at the nexus of different policy areas.

/pdf/renegotiating-authority-in-the-energy-union-a-framework-for-438rponsl8.pdf

Renegotiating authority in the Energy Union: A Framework for Analysis

The Europeanisation of energy policy has occupied a remote place in the European integration literature to date. However, current developments such as the Energy Policy for Europe launched in 2007 and the Lisbon Treaty Title XXI on Energy have given greater prominence to this policy area within the integration process. Hence, there are several indications that the Europeanisation of energy policy is already taking place, even though the understanding of this process is still weak. And indeed, European studies are just beginning to shed light on this policy area. Against this backdrop, this article examines the EU environmental performance, supported by the Environmental Policy Integration (EPI), as a driver for energy governance during the process of Europeanisation. Its main argument is that EPI is not only a variable for explaining the governance changes at the EU level concerning energy – defined here as ‘green Europeanisation’–, but also a useful instrument for pursuing coherence within the emergent EU energy policy.

/pdf/bridging-the-gap-between-environmental-policy-integration-1ekyn19ufy.pdf

Israel Solorio

Papers

Contested energy transition? Europeanization and authority turns in EU renewable energy policy

A Guide to EU Renewable Energy Policy

Renegotiating authority in the Energy Union: A Framework for Analysis

Bridging the Gap between Environmental Policy Integration and the EU’s Energy Policy: Mapping out the ‘Green Europeanisation’ of Energy Governance

EU renewable energy policy: a brief overview of its history and evolution