A study in Energy Research & Social Science investigates how socioeconomic inequality translates into unequal access to grid-based flexibility in Germany. The research by Wendlinger, Hinterstocker, and Praktiknjo reveals that the capacity to provide demand-side flexibility—a key component for integrating renewable energy—is not evenly distributed. Households in more affluent areas are better positioned to offer this flexibility, creating a “flexibility divide” that could reinforce existing social disparities within the energy transition.
Why it might matter to you:
This research provides a critical lens for analyzing how market-based solutions for decarbonization can inadvertently reproduce or worsen social inequality. For anyone focused on the social dimensions of energy policy, it underscores the necessity of designing interventions that actively address distributional outcomes, ensuring the benefits and burdens of the transition are shared equitably across different socioeconomic groups.
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