The paper traces the hype around energy digital twins over time, noticing how the lack of data access in the sector and insufficient funding on demonstrators only led to reframing of the mission from a new generation of models to data sharing infrastructures. This reframing acted as a pragmatic, technical turn, while the ethical concerns to do with twinning stayed at the level of model development (e.g. bias, trust). Focusing on model developers' responsibility backgrounded the politics inherent to software procurement, metadata agreements and power relations in public-private partnership. Hence, rather than dismissing hype, we should pay attention to it as a force able to redirect attention and conceal the politics of digital technologies.
Models vs infrastructures? On the role of digital twins’ hype in anticipating the governance of the UK energy industry
14 May 2025
Dr Ola Michalec, a BDFI lecturer based at the Business School has recently published "Models vs infrastructures? On the role of digital twins’ hype in anticipating the governance of the UK energy industry" in Environmental Science and Policy.