Professor Heffron has over the last decade become one of the leading researchers in energy justice in the world. Energy justice research has grown exponentially due to the long catalogue of problems in the energy sector. Professor Heffron’s work on energy justice has been at the forefront of this research and his work features in Government policy documents in the United States, Colombia and South Africa.

His work is based around 5 key energy justice principles: distributive, procedural, restorative, recognition and cosmopolitan. His work on energy justice has feature in the world’s top journals such as Nature, Nature Energy, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Energy Policy, Applied Energy and many more. He has presented his work on energy justice across the world, has written policy documents, held conferences and contributed to project development in different countries across the world.

His current work sees him co-leading research a major research contract on energy justice and the social contract which has received research funds of €3.7 million to-date and has a team of 15 at the University of Pau in the South-West of France.

1. Heffron, R. J. and De Fontenelle, L. 2023. Implementing Energy Justice through a New Social Contract. Journal of Energy and Natural Resources Law, 41 (2), 141-155.
2. Heffron, R. J. 2022. Applying energy justice into the energy transition. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 156, 111936.
3. Heffron, R. J. & Foley, A. 2022. Promote clean-energy transition in student education. Nature, 607, 32.
4. Kraal, D. and Heffron, R. J. 2022. Resource Rent Tax: its principles, application and need for change in Australia. Australian Tax Forum, 37 (3), 559-599.
5. Heffron, R. J. 2022. Energy Law in Crisis: an energy justice revolution is needed. Journal of World Energy Law & Business, 15 (3), 167-172.
6. Vega-Araujo, J. & Heffron, R. J. 2022. Assessing elements of energy justice in Colombia: A case study on transmission infrastructure in La Guajira. Energy Research & Social Science, 91, 102688.
7. Hanny, L., Wagner, J., Buhl, H. U., Heffron, R. J., Körner, M-F., Schöpf, M. and Weibelzahl, M. 2022. On the progress in flexibility and grid charges in light of the energy transition: The case of Germany. Energy Policy, 165, 112882.
8. Heffron, R. J. Kornier, M-F., Sumarno, T., Wagner, J., Weibelzahl, M. and Fridgen, G. 2022. How different electricity pricing systems affect the energy trilemma: Assessing Indonesia’s electricity market transition. Energy Economics, 107, 105663.
9. Sokolowski, M. M. and Heffron, R. J. 2022. Defining and conceptualising energy policy failure: The when, where, why, and how. Energy Policy, 161, 112745
10. Heffron, R. J. et al. 2021. The emergence of the ‘social licence to operate’ in the extractive industries? Resources Policy, 74, 101272
11. Heffron, R.J. 2021. Energy multinationals challenged by the growth of human rights. Nature Energy, 6, 849
12. Hazrati, M. and Heffron, R. J. 2021. Conceptualising restorative justice in the energy transition: changing the perspectives of fossil fuels. Energy Research and Social Science, 78, 102115.
13. R. Heffron, S. Halbrugge, M. Körner, N.A. Obeng-Darko, T. Sumarno, J. Wagner, M. Weibelzahl. 2021. Justice in Solar Energy Development. Solar Energy, 218, 68-75.
14. Heffron, R., Körner, M., Schopf, M., Wagner, J., and Weibelzahl, M. 2021. The role of flexibility in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: Contributing to a sustainable and resilient energy future in Europe. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 140 (110743)
15. Qurbani, I. D., Heffron, R. J. and Rifano, A. T. S. 2021. Justice and critical mineral development in Indonesia and across ASEAN. The Extractives Industry and Society, 8 (1), 355-362.
16. Heffron, R., Körner, M., Wagner, J., Weibelzahl, M., Fridgen, G., 2020. Industrial demandside flexibility: A key element of a just energy transition and industrial development. Applied Energy, 269 (115026)
17. Heffron, R. J. and Sheehan, J. 2020. Rethinking international taxation and energy policy post COVID-19 and the financial crisis for developing countries. Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law, 38 (4), 465-473.
18. Heffron, R. J. 2020. The Role of Justice in Developing Critical Minerals. The Extractives Industry and Society, 7 (3), 855-863.
19. McCauley, D., Ramasar, V., Heffron, R. J., Sovacool, B. K., Mebratu, D. & Mundaca, L. 2019. Energy justice in the transition to low carbon energy systems: Exploring key themes in interdisciplinary research. Applied Energy. 233-234, p. 916-921.
20. Heffron, R. J. 2018. The application of distributive justice to energy taxation utilising sovereign wealth funds. Energy Policy, 122, 649-654.
21. Heffron, R. J., McCauley, D. and Zarazua de Rubens, G. 2018. Balancing the Energy Trilemma through the Energy Justice Metric. Applied Energy, 229, 1191-1201.
22. Heffron, R. J. & McCauley, D. 2017. The concept of energy justice across the disciplines. Energy Policy, 105, 658-667.
23. Sovacool, B, Heffron, R. J., McCauley, D & Goldthau, A. 2016. Energy decisions reframed as justice and ethical concerns. Nature Energy, 1, 16024.
24. Heffron RJ, McCauley D and Sovacool BK. 2015. Resolving Society’s Energy Trilemma through the Energy Justice Metric’, Energy Policy, 87, 168-176.
25. McCauley, D., Heffron, R. J. Stephan, H. and Jenkins, K. 2013. Advancing Energy Justice: The triumvirate of tenets. International Energy Law Review, 32 (3), 107-110. (Available via Westlaw)
26. Heffron, R. J., Johnston, A., McCauley, D. and Jenkins, K. 2013. Policy Delivery on Low Carbon Energy Generation Infrastructure in the UK: Conference Overview. Energy Policy, 61, 1367-1369.