Investments from those with interest in fossil fuels are well researched in the context of energy transitions. However, how actors across the wider energy sector perceive the role of fossil fuel interests in delaying energy transitions is less understood. Now, Laura Kuhl and colleagues from Northeastern University and University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in the United States present insights from interviews on perceived fossil fuel interests and the role that narratives of resistance to fossil fuels may play in slowing the renewable energy transition in Puerto Rico.

The researchers conducted semi-structured, expert interviews with 56 energy sector actors in Puerto Rico in 2021 to better understand perceptions of the energy transition. Participants came from the private, public and non-profit sectors, and included a range of government officials, academics, community organization members and union workers. Interviews were coded to identify key narratives and perceptions of obstruction according to a “discourses of delay” framework, where repeated and perpetuated narratives promote delayed action on an issue. The team note diverse views on the maintenance of a fossil-fuel based system in Puerto Rico, with both resistance to change at the community level and obstruction to action on climate change related to maintaining political power perceived as supporting the status quo. Interview feedback highlights a contested renewable energy transition, but equally sheds light on agreement amongst study participants that Puerto Rico’s energy future will eventually be renewables-based.

对化石燃料感兴趣的投资在能源转型的背景下得到了充分研究。然而，更广泛的能源领域的参与者如何看待化石燃料利益在推迟能源转型中的作用尚不清楚。现在，来自美国东北大学和德克萨斯大学里奥格兰德河谷分校的劳拉·库尔 (Laura Kuhl) 及其同事通过采访展示了对化石燃料利益的看法，以及抵制化石燃料的叙述可能在减缓波多黎各可再生能源转型方面发挥的作用。 。

研究人员于 2021 年对波多黎各的 56 名能源行业参与者进行了半结构化专家访谈，以更好地了解对能源转型的看法。参与者来自私营、公共和非营利部门，包括一系列政府官员、学者、社区组织成员和工会工人。根据“拖延话语”框架对访谈进行编码，以识别关键叙述和对阻碍的看法，在该框架中，重复和永久的叙述会促进对某个问题采取拖延行动。研究小组注意到，对于维持波多黎各以化石燃料为基础的系统存在着不同的观点，其中既有社区层面的抵制变革，也有对与维持被认为支持现状的政治权力有关的气候变化行动的阻碍。采访反馈强调了有争议的可再生能源转型，但同样表明研究参与者一致认为波多黎各的能源未来最终将基于可再生能源。