Staff
Dr Bridget Woodman
Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director of Energy Policy Group
01326 259026
Stella Turk Building B051-033
University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE
Office hours: Office hours this term are: Tuesday 10.30 - 11.30 Friday 15.00 - 16.00 Meetings will take place online at the moment using Microsoft Teams. You can book a time here
Overview
I am the Deputy Director of the Energy Policy Group in the Centre for Geography and Environmental Sciences at the University of Exeter's Penryn campus. The majority of my work is focused on the policy and regulatory aspects of a transition to sustainable energy systems.
Previously I worked at Warwick Business School as a UKERC Research Fellow in its Infrastructure and Supply theme. Prior to that I undertook her DPhil on Renewables and Distributed Generation at SPRU, University of Sussex. I have been involved in engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including companies, communities and individuals on both climate and energy related issues. I have provided advice, reporting and consultation on energy issues for Green Alliance, European Commission, DTI, BERR and Greenpeace.
Broad research specialisms:
My research interests have a strong focus on the policy and economic regulatory aspects of delivering sustainable energy systems from a multidisciplinary perspective.
At the moment, policy making for sustainable energy in the UK appears to be incremental, and made up of small adjustments in approach or individual policies within stable institutional settings. Energy systems - electricity, heat and transport - are currently dealt with separately in policy making processes, meaning that areas with system synergies – such as the integration of heat and electricity production, or the exploitation of electricity for transport – are either neglected relative to simple ‘single system’ policy measures, or are not addressed at all. As a result, the current design of policy for sustainable energy options in the UK tends to neglect the full range of carbon and security advantages that they could offer.
The new energy system context shaped by climate change and other policy requirements suggests that incremental, path-dependent decision making will not be an adequate response to the need for rapid change, and that increasing pressure both within and outside energy systems could lead to a more fundamental shift in the development and implementation of policy for sustainable energy systems within a new set of institutions.
Qualifications
DPhil Science and Technology Policy (Sussex)
MSc Science and Technology Policy (Sussex)
Research group links
Research
Research interests
Bridget’s research interests have a strong focus on the policy and economic regulatory aspects of delivering sustainable energy systems from a multidisciplinary perspective.
At the moment, policy making for sustainable energy in the UK appears to be incremental, and made up of small adjustments in approach or individual policies within stable institutional settings. Energy systems - electricity, heat and transport - are currently dealt with separately in policy making processes, meaning that areas with system synergies – such as the integration of heat and electricity production, or the exploitation of electricity for transport – are either neglected relative to simple ‘single system’ policy measures, or are not addressed at all. As a result, the current design of policy for sustainable energy options in the UK tends to neglect the full range of carbon and security advantages that they could offer.
The new energy system context shaped by climate change and other policy requirements suggests that incremental, path-dependent decision making will not be an adequate response to the need for rapid change, and that increasing pressure both within and outside energy systems could lead to a more fundamental shift in the development and implementation of policy for sustainable energy systems within a new set of institutions.
Research projects
Current projects are:
- UKERC Phase 4 Infrastructure theme
- ESIF funded Local Energy Markets project (with Centrica): evaluating policy and regulatory aspects of local energy markets intended to enable renewable generation and reduce network constraints
- Horizon 2020 AURES II: design and implementation of renewable energy auctions
- INTERREG Intelligent Community Energy (ICE): developing renewable energy systems on islands
- INTERREG Sustainable Heating: Implementing Fossil-Free Technologies (SHIFFT)
Past projects include work on incumbency in the heat system, continuity and disruption in heat policy (both UKERC), and Phase 1 of the AURES project on renewable energy auctions.
Links
Teaching
I teach both postgraduate and undergraduate students within the Centre for Geography and Environmental Sciences at the University of Exeter as well as contributing to other programmes at other institutions as a visiting lecturer.
Modules
2023/24
Information not currently available
Supervision / Group
Postgraduate researchers
Alumni
- Jimmy Aldridge
- John Allen
- Inga Boie