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Distributing Powe Philosophical Issues in a Cratological Evaluation of Jorge Camacho, PhD University of East London

Distributing power

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Distributing Power:Philosophical Issues in a Cratological Evaluation of Technologies

Jorge Camacho, PhDUniversity of East London

“...clean, reliable and

affordable electricity at

thecustomer

site.”(Bloom Energy)

Distributed Generation (DG)

Distributed Energy Resources

(DER)

“shifts control to the

consumer”(Bloom Energy)

“generate electricity

everywhere”

“think negawatts,

not megawatts”

“store power in

superbatteries”

Grid 2.0Energy

Web

Assessment of energy

systems[technologies]...

Technical (or 'internal') values:

A system is...

EffectiveEfficientReliable

Some 'external' values:

(Economic)(Ecological)

A system is...

Cost effective

Sustainable

Cratological →

(kratus = power)

Objective #1:

Technologies Social Power

Framework:

* Ontological* Normative (Evaluative)* Theoretical (Explanatory)

Framework:

* Ontological* Normative (Evaluative)* Theoretical (Explanatory)

Objective #2:

Electricity Supply Systems

Systems Ontology>

Mario Bunge

<(Social) Systems OntologyJames S.

Coleman

Systems Ontology of Technology >

Miguel A. Quintanilla

System =Composite

object(Components bonded by interactions)

System:

C > CompositionE > EnvironmentS > StructureM > Mechanism

(characteristic process)

Technological System:

C > actors and artifactsE > other systems (inc. social)S > relations...M > “technological realization”

(Quintanilla)

A sequence of“actions intentionally

oriented to the transformation of things in order to

achieve a valuable result.”

Technological realization:

(Quintanilla)

Social ontology...

< social power

Coleman's 'social algebra'...

Social System:

C > actors and resourcesE > //////////////////S > control and interestM > ...............................

Social System:

C > actors and resourcesE > //////////////////S > control and interestM > social exchange

The most interesting resources...

… are the most valuable.

Power (of a social actor) =measure of the value of the

resources under her/his control.

Power (of a social actor) =Capacity to act / decide about

the system as a whole.

Normative / Evaluative dimension>

< What is the fair or just distribution of power in

society?

< Distributive Justice

Ronald DworkinJames S. Coleman

Equality......of what?

(Amartya Sen)

Equality of resources(R. Dworkin) >

Equivalence of resources =

Equality......of Power

Theoretical / Explanatory dimension>

< How can technological development be causally related to distribution of

power?

Economic power>

< Markets and industries

<Affordance>>Social

affordance<(J.J. Gibson, Don Norman, Manuel Delanda)

Objective #2:

Electricity Supply Systems

Reduction of scale>

<competition, re-distribution of

power?

* Vertical re-integration* Horizontal concentration* Barriers to entry* High prices

<affordances not realized

<affordances not realized

>political challenge

New Paradigm:

DER

DistributedEnergy

Resources

Promise: transfer of power>

* prosumers* independent

producers* local communities

Egalitarian affordances>

Egalitarian affordances>

<philosophersof technology

<thank you>