Mark Joseph Soares HUMAN GEOGRAPHY AND NEW ENERGY REGIMES: THE CASE OF PICO ISLAND, AZORES Master's Dissertation in Human Geography, in the area of specialization of Human Geography, Planning and Healthy Territories, oriented by Doctor João Luís de Jesus Fernandes, presented to the Department of Geography and Tourism of the Faculty of Letters of the University of Coimbra. 2017 Faculdade de Letras HUMAN GEOGRAPHY AND NEW ENERGY REGIMES: THE CASE OF PICO ISLAND, AZORES Datasheet: Kind of work Master’s Dissertation Title HUMAN GEOGRAPHY AND NEW ENERGY REGIMES – THE CASE OF PICO ISLAND, AZORES Author Mark Joseph Soares Advisor João Luís de Jesus Fernandes Jury President: Doctor Paulo Manuel de Carvalho Tomás Panel: 1. Doctor Paulo Manuel de Carvalho Tomás (President) 2. Doutor Rui Jorge Gama Fernandes (Arguer) 3. João Luís Jesus Fernandes (Orientor) Course 2nd Cycle in Geography Scientific Area Human Geography Specialty/Branch Human Geography, Planning and Healthy Territories Date of defense 25-09-2017 Classification Value of 19 “Esta ilha – a maior dos Açores – é negra até as entranhas, na própria terra, na bagacina das praias, no pó das estradas, nas casas, nos campos divididos e subdivididos por muros de lava, nas igrejinhas das aldeias, requeimadas e tristes.” (As Ilhas Desconhecidas, de Raul Brandão) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to first thank my family for their constant support and encouragement through my studies, for introducing me to the Azores and the Island of Pico and hosting me there and for connecting me with the people of the island. I would also like to thank Dr. João Luís de Jesus Fernandes for his invaluable orientation, insight and great support throughout this thesis, as well as for opening my mind up to new perspectives and ways of thinking. Also, I would like to thank Flavia Carlet for her master transcription and translations skills in the language of Portuguese, as this allowed for the results of this study to be analysed and shared. Lastly I would like to think my friends and the humble, open and kind people of Pico Island, as without their support and participation this study could not of happened. ABSTRACT Globally, the dominant energy paradigm of our time is being challenged and changed. As the negative impacts, conflicts and uncertainty over the future supply of fossil fuel energies persists, alternative options are increasingly being adopted and promoted. Principal amongst these are renewable energies, options believed to be sustainable, cleaner and to have a lower environmental impact than that of our current carbon energy regime. Shifting to a renewable energy regime, however, is bound to bring with it its own set of impacts, conflicts and challenges, as energy affects the landscape and the landscape affects energy. The purpose of this study has been to examine the change to a new renewable energy paradigm through an energy geography lens. This study has attempted to do so by examining a remote island where a shift from the dominant fossil fuel paradigm to one powered by renewable energies is taking place. The Island of Pico in the Autonomous Region of the Azores was selected for this analysis. This island, being an outermost region of the EU, was selected due to the fact that it has an isolated energy system that is not connected to any outside energy source, and therefore, it has to produce all its energy locally. It was believed that Pico may serve as an example of how a place that is totally dependent on fossil fuel imports may aim to switch to locally produce 100% of its energy from renewable sources. This study was carried out in three parts: first, a theoretical component involving a literature review on types of energy and the discipline of geography; second, an examination of paradigm shifts on two other EU Islands; and third, a practical component involving a case study analysis conducted on Pico Island through structured interviews and a survey questionnaire. Such a change in paradigm does seem possible for Pico, as the vast majority of participants believed such a change was possible, that it would be positive for Pico and its image, and they are open to seeing it happen. How, if and when Pico will achieve a 100% shift of paradigm remains to be seen. It was also found that it remains unclear as to whether Pico Island may follow or adapt the models used by other islands or if it must develop its own model to make this shift. This is something that requires further study. Keywords: energy geography; renewable energy systems, energy paradigm, remote islands, energy self-sufficiency. RESUMO Globalmente, o paradigma dominante de energia do nosso tempo está sendo desafiado e modificado. Em razão dos impactos negativos, dos conflitos e da incerteza quanto ao futuro fornecimento de combustíveis fósseis, alternativas estão sendo cada vez mais adotadas e impulsionadas. A principal delas, são as energias renováveis, consideradas sustentáveis, limpas e de menor impacto ambiental se comparadas ao atual regime de energia de carbono. Entretanto, uma mudança para o regime de energia renovável, inevitavelmente, traz consigo impactos, conflitos e desafios, a exemplo da energia afetar a paisagem e a paisagem afetar a energia. O objetivo deste estudo foi examinar a mudança de um paradigma de energia fóssil para um novo paradigma de energia renovável, sob a perspectiva da „energy geography‟. Este estudo buscou examinar essa mudança em uma ilha remota, onde esta transição de paradigma de energia está a ocorrer. A Ilha do Pico, localizada na Região Autónoma dos Açores, uma região ultraperiférica da União Europeia, foi selecionada para essa análise. Isso se deve ao fato de que a ilha possui um sistema de energia isolado que não está conectado a nenhuma fonte de energia externa e, portanto, necessita produzir localmente toda a sua energia. Acredita-se que o Pico pode ser um exemplo de como um lugar totalmente dependente da importação de combustíveis fósseis, pode mudar para produzir 100% de sua energia a partir de fontes renováveis. Este trabalho foi organizado em três partes. A primeira, apresenta uma revisão da literatura sobre os tipos de energia e a disciplina da geografia; a segunda, examina as mudanças de paradigma energético em outras duas ilhas da UE; e a terceira, apresenta a análise do estudo de caso realizado na Ilha do Pico através de entrevistas estruturadas e questionários de pesquisa. Tal mudança de paradigma parece ser possível para o Pico, conforme a opinião da grande maioria dos participantes do estudo. Eles acreditam que essa mudança é possível; que ela será positiva para o Pico e sua imagem; e que estão abertos para que isso aconteça. Como, se e quando o Pico alcançará 100% da mudança de paradigma ainda não sabemos. Também não sabemos se a ilha do Pico seguirá ou se adaptará aos modelos usados por outras ilhas, ou se deve desenvolver o seu próprio modelo para fazer essa mudança. Isso é algo que requer um estudo mais aprofundado. Palavras-chave: „energy geography‟; sistemas de energia renovável; paradigma energético; ilhas remotas; energia autossuficiente. GENERAL INDEX INDEX OF FIGURES ……………………………………………………………………………4 INDEX OF TABLES ……………………………………………………………………………..6 INDEX OF ANNEXES …………………………………………………………………………..6 INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………………………………..7 PART I │ ENERGY, SUSTAINABILITY AND TERRITORY 1. ENERGY AND GEOGRAPHY …………………………………………………………...…10 1.1. THE NEED TO STUDY ENERGY PARADIGMS THROUGH A GEOGRAPHIC LENS …………………………………………………………………….................................10 1.2. ENERGY AND TERRITORY: A NEW BRANCH OF GEOGRAPHY IN AN INTERDISCIPLINARY DOMAIN? ........................................................................................12 1.3. ENERGY AND GEOGRAPHY: HOW LANDSCAPE SHAPES ENERGY AND HOW ENERGY SHAPES LANDSCAPE …………………………………………………………..16 1.4. ENERGY: BETWEEN HARMONY AND TERRITORIAL CONFLICTS …………….20 1.5. THE NEED TO TRANSITION FROM FOSSIL FUELS TO RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY: CLIMATE CHANGE, GLOBAL WARMING AND SEA LEVEL RISE …..23 1.6. TYPES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION ....................................................26 1.7. HUBS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCT PRODUCTION …………………….26 1.8. PARADIGMS: A NEW PARADIGM FOR ALL – THE ISSUE OF SHIFTING THE DOMINANT FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY PARADIGM TO ONE FULLY SUPPLIED BY RENEWABLE ENERGY …………………………………………………………………….31 1.9. ENERGY AND POLITICAL SUBJECTS: WHO CONTROLS THE PROCESS? .........43 1.10. ENERGY AND LANDSCAPE: FOSSIL FUEL LANDSCAPES VERSUS CLEAN ENERGY LANDSCAPES …………………………………………………………………...49 1.11. ENERGY AND TERRITORY: USING CLEAN ENERGY TO CREATE A POSITIVE TERRITORY IMAGE AND AS A TERRITORIAL MARKETING TOOL ………………..55 1.12. ISLAND AS A GEOGRAPHICAL SUBJECT: ISLAND TERRITORIES AS ISOLATED ULTRA-PERIPHERY REGIONS AND THEIR GEOGRAPHIES, ORGANIZATION AND COMPLEXITIES ………………………………………………….59 1 1.13. THE EU‟S OUTERMOST REGIONS: ISLANDS AS A SPECIFIC SUBJECT WITH DIFFERENT SPECIFIC TREAMENT WITHIN THE EU ……………………………….….64 1.14. THE EU‟S SPECIAL INVESTMENTS IN ITS OUTERMOST REGIONS ……….….66 PART II │ ISLAND EXAMPLES 2. THE TRANSITION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY POWERED ISLANDS IN THE EU …..72 2.1. CASES: THE ISLAND OF EL HIERRO AND THE ISLAND OF SAMSO …………...72 2.2. GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION ………………………………………………………...73 2.3. POPULATION …………………………………………………………………………..77 2.4. DEVELOPMENT TRAJECTORY ……………………………………………………...79 2.5. ENERGY MAKE-UP ……………………………………………………………………87 2.6. LANDSCAPE ……………………………………………………………………………92 2.7. TRANSPORTATION ……………………………………………………………………96 2.8. IMAGES OF THE ISLANDS: TERRITORIAL MARKETING STRATEGY AND