Fighting the Treadmill of Deception: A Panel Data Analysis of Renewable Energy, Disinformation, and Cybersecurity, 2001–2020

• In Event: 50817 - Novel Approaches to Environmental Sociology

Abstract

Government cybersecurity capacity and disinformation play a crucial yet underexplored role in shaping renewable energy development. Conventional theories argue that fossil fuel industry-politics networks obstruct energy transitions by fostering political polarization and spreading disinformation. However, our study presents a more nuanced perspective. Using fixed-effects panel data regression on a dataset covering 164 countries from 2000 to 2020, compiled from multiple cross-national databases, we examine the relationship between disinformation, cybersecurity capacity, and renewable energy adoption. Our findings reveal an unexpected dynamic: while disinformation is a significant factor in renewable energy transitions, its effects are paradoxically positive. Higher levels of both foreign and domestic party disinformation correlate with an increased share of renewable electricity. This counterintuitive result is driven by a strategic governmental response—countries facing heightened disinformation threats tend to invest in cybersecurity, which in turn fosters renewable energy adoption. When government cybersecurity capacity is included in our models, the statistical significance of disinformation variables diminishes, suggesting that cybersecurity plays a mediating role in stabilizing policy environments and countering disinformation’s disruptive effects. These findings contribute to debates on treadmill organizations, environmental modernization, and the environmental state by illustrating how state capacity, particularly in cybersecurity, influences energy transitions. Rather than merely mitigating cyber threats, cybersecurity investments create policy stability and enhance investor confidence in renewable energy projects. Our study highlights the need for policymakers to integrate cybersecurity into renewable energy strategies, ensuring both energy security and a resilient, sustainable energy future.

Authors

• Yun-Chung Ting, Academia Sinica

• Thung-Hong Lin, Academia Sinica