Artificial Intelligence and the Global Transition to Renewable Energy: Trends, Perceptions, and Policy Pathways

Dear Colleagues,

The global shift toward renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, biomass, and hydropower, is central to achieving climate neutrality, energy security, and sustainable development. However, this transition is not solely a technological challenge but also a deeply systemic transformation involving economic, environmental, and societal dimensions. Amid these complexities, artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a powerful enabler of innovation, optimization, and policy integration within the renewable energy sector.

This Special Issue will explore the international status, public perception, and implementation dynamics of renewable energy, with a particular emphasis on the applications and implications of AI in accelerating this transformation. We invite scholarly contributions that examine how AI technologies, ranging from machine learning and predictive analytics to autonomous control systems, can support the integration of renewables into national grids, optimize energy forecasting, manage decentralized systems, and inform strategic policymaking.

In addition, we welcome interdisciplinary studies addressing societal attitudes toward renewable energy adoption, regional disparities in development, and the ethical and governance considerations of AI deployment in the energy sector. By combining technological insight with socio-political analysis, this Special Issue will offer a comprehensive perspective on how intelligent systems can contribute to a more resilient, efficient, and publicly accepted renewable energy future.

This Special Issue welcomes contributions related (but not limited) to the following topics:

• Applications of artificial intelligence in the integration and management of renewable energy systems;
• Public attitudes and international comparisons of renewable energy acceptance;
• AI-driven forecasting and optimization in solar, wind, and bioenergy production;
• Ethical, legal, and policy implications of AI in renewable energy governance;
• Comparative analysis of national strategies and policy frameworks supporting renewable energy transitions.

Dr. András Szeberényi
Dr. Norbert Bozsik
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.