Summary
Hart and Bonvillian (2018) analyse the potential for energy storage policy—particularly subsidy and support mechanisms—to inadvertently create technology lock-in, whereby early policy commitments to specific storage technologies may reduce competitive pressure and slow innovation across the sector. The paper, published by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, appears to caution policymakers against backing particular storage technologies prematurely, arguing that such path dependencies can constrain long-term technological development and market diversity.
UK applicability
The paper's analysis of technology lock-in risks in energy storage policy is relevant to United Kingdom energy policy and the development of grid-scale and distributed storage capacity. As the UK transitions to net-zero and expands renewable energy, similar risks of premature technology commitment in subsidy design merit consideration in domestic policy formulation.
Key measures
Policy mechanisms, technology lock-in risk, innovation foreclosure, competitive market dynamics
Outcomes reported
The paper examines how energy storage policy mechanisms may create technology lock-in effects that foreclose alternative innovation pathways. It analyses the risk that premature subsidy and support commitments reduce competitive pressure and slow broader technological progress in the energy storage sector.
Topic tags
Dig deeper with Pulse AI.
Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.