Ralitsa Hiteva

MSc Environmental Governance (with Distinction), University of Manchester, 2009.
MA (Hon) Economic and Politics, University of Edinburgh, 2007.

Geographies of energy governance – negotiating low carbon and energy secure futures in the European Union.

Supervisors: Dr. Gavin Bridge and Dr. Sally Randles.

• Energy governance and environmental regulation
• Energy security
• Low-carbon transition and living
• Economic geography and cultural political economy
• Municipal energy networks, sub-national and supranational scales of energy governance
• Green stimulus packages

This project aims to analyse the changing nature of energy governance by sketching out the shifts occurring (1) within the material flows of energy; (2) the dominant discourses of energy governance; (3) and the changes within the structure and participation in energy governance. The struggles and tensions in negotiating energy secure and low-carbon futures are uncovered by analysing the set of actors, institutions and means of regulation involved across multiple scales: the nation state, transnational municipal energy networks and energy companies in the EU through two case study countries: UK and Bulgaria. By comparing and contrasting the different approaches to energy governance in the two countries, the research aims to identify significant pillars and obstacles in achieving the common EU energy strategy of 20% reduction in carbon emission, 20% increase in renewable energy and energy efficiency by 2020.

Ralitsa is part of the Sustainable Consumption Institute Doctoral Training Centre (SCI DTC). Her research is funded by the SCI DTC and supported by the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) with a Postgraduate Research Award.