Explaining the Diffusion of Renewable Electricity Technologies in Canadian Remote Indigenous Communities through the Technological Innovation System Approach

• Published in: Sustainability
• Main Authors: Konstantinos Karanasios, Paul Parker
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018
• Subjects: technological innovation system; sustainable electricity systems; renewable energy; remote indigenous communities; Environmental effects of industries and plants; TD194-195; Renewable energy sources; TJ807-830; Environmental sciences; GE1-350; Northwest Territories; Canada
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/su10113871; https://doaj.org/article/ebc4a00f8fff44b48862c1762e15145e

This paper applies the Technological Innovation System (TIS) approach for the first time in the context of remote indigenous communities in Northwest Territories (NWT) and Ontario, Canada, to explain the diffusion of Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs). These communities need reliable and sustainable electricity to address social, environmental and economic development issues. The study examines the diffusion of RETs during the 2000⁻2016 period, identifies the systemic and transformational failures responsible for the functional performance of the TISs, and generates insights about factors that have the potential to sustain the development of RET projects. Findings suggest that the TIS-proposed causal mechanisms were present and performed as expected. Since the accumulation of TIS functions influences the rate of deployment of renewable technologies, policy intervention to improve local learning and networking could lead to accelerated diffusion of RETs to the benefit of remote communities and other stakeholders.