Espen Moe

Espen Moe is a Professor of Political Science at the Department of Sociology and Political Science, NTNU. His primary affiliation is with NTNU Sustainability as research leader for climate mitigation and adaptation. He holds a PhD from UCLA and has held visiting positions at Alpen-Adria Universität (Vienna), Beijing Normal University, and Kwansei Gakuin University (Japan). His work focuses on energy policy, renewable energy transitions, international political economy, and the structural dynamics of economic growth.

Education:

• PhD in Political Science, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Research Interests: Explores how political economies influence energy transitions, particularly the role of vested interests in blocking renewable adoption. Specializes in analyzing fossil fuel dependency, Scandinavian energy policy contrasts, and the political economy of Japan/China/Norway energy systems. Uses historical comparative methods to study great power economic trajectories linked to energy systems.

Key Contributions: Authored Governance, Growth and Global Leadership (2007) and Renewable Energy Transformation or Fossil Fuel Backlash (2015). Edited volumes on renewable energy political economy (2014, 2021). His recent work emphasizes post-carbon governance frameworks and negative emissions technologies.

Grants/Advising: No explicitly listed grants, but active in NTNU Sustainability initiatives. Advises on climate policy through research leadership roles.

Labs/Teams: Leads NTNU Sustainability's climate mitigation research area. Collaborates internationally through cross-university projects on energy policy and political economy.