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== Key Aspects ==
Besides long-term decisions made by political representation, society has critically discussed and then fundamentally opposed or endorsed developments in the energy sector. The most prominently known clashes between society and the energy sector may be the Anti-Nuclear Movement whose opposition against nuclear weaponry extended to the civil use of nuclear power. Countless radioactive incidents and a few major disasters, most recently at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in Japan in 2011, boosted this opposition. On the contrary, growing awareness of taking responsibility for climate change strongly endorses the development of renewable energy systems. In turn however, the aesthetic effects on original landscapes motivates resistance to the rapid development of wind turbines and associated infrastructure. Both concerns and endorsements are reflected in the political support of renewable energy projects as well as the rigorous planning procedures European countries impose.<br />Much more subtly however, long-term transformation in the energy sector will challenge society. Decentralised generation will increasingly confront inhabitants with the origins of this formerly invisible commodity, while community projects bear the potential of a more fragmented, but possibly more democratic generation market. Digitisation empowers society to drive the efficiency of energy consumption, at an uncertain cost of adapting lifestyles. If efforts to reduce consumption were driven by prices, less affluent areas would be disproportionately affected. Similarly, transportation and mobility habits are likely to be challenged by a move away from carbon fuels as base energy vector.<br />
Assuming responsibility for changes in climate demands to decrease carbon dioxide emissions greatly in the years to come. Although it was found that it is possible for industrialised countries to show economic growth at stable emission levels, the effects of a continued drive to reduce emissions may put strain on societies highly dependent on energy.
== Latest developments ==