Mapping renewable energy subsidy policy research published from 1997 to 2018: A scientometric review

Renewable energy is considered as one of the most promising ways to support sustainable development, which leads to renewable energy subsidies becoming an increasingly important study area in the field of energy policy research. This article reviews the key literature, historical research pathways, and research clusters from 1997 to 2018 focusing on renewable energy subsidy policy. We qualitatively reviewed renewable energy subsidy policies on the basis of three quantitative analysis methods including co-citation network analysis, historical path analysis, and bibliographic coupling analysis. A co-citation network analysis allowed the identification of influential studies on the subject of renewable energy subsidy policies. Our analysis of the research literature published within our time range identifies “key nodes” (documentation), “historical pathways” (evolutionary history), and “intellectual clusters”. This study can provide an in-depth understanding and guidance for researchers and policymakers in the area of renewable energy subsidy policies.