Crises and their impact on the energy system: Sweden 1900-2013

Abstract: Throughout history, changes have occurred in the energy system, where social and economic factors have been identified as drivers for these changes. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether crises, financial crises and energy supply crises, have been drivers for changes in the energy system in Sweden for the period 1900-2013. To investigate these changes, energy prices is measured as the mechanism of changes in the energy system by using relative prices. The data for energy consumption, energy intensity and CO2 emissions are based on the manufacturing industry and are investigated as the impact of changes that occur in the energy system. The results for this study show that crises have had an impact on the energy system. Furthermore, the study also indicates that there is a difference between energy supply crises and financial crises and their respective impact on the energy system. Energy supply crises appears to create long-term changes in the energy system, due to shortages in the energy supply, which have increased energy prices as well as the demand for substituted energy carriers. Financial crises appear to only have had short-term impacts on the Swedish energy system.