Contact:

Project leader

Prof. Dr. Jannika Mattes

Team

Dr. Camilla Chlebna

Dr. Meike Löhr

Dr. Sebastian Rohe

Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
Institut für Sozialwissenschaften 
26111 Oldenburg

This project is supported by our Mercator-Fellow, Professor Lars Coenen, from the Mohn Centre for Innovation and Regional Development at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences.

Regional Energy Transition: The Social Processes of Negotiating, Norming and Learning in the Wind Energy Sector

Final report

English Summary

Change in the energy system goes hand in hand with the development of renewable energies and becomes visible through the diffusion of these technologies. Profound technological, economic and also social restructuring is associated with this "energy transition". Different actors are involved, they have to negotiate compromises, create standards and routines and acquire new knowledge. Often, these processes are analyzed on a general, national level. However, this perspective neglects processes at the local and regional level, which can be understood as the basis of this very heterogenous change process. This is where REENEA came in and – starting from the wind energy sector as an exemplary part of the energy transition – examined the social dynamics and regional differences of the energy transition. In recent years, the wind industry has increasingly evolved into a global sector within national, European and international contexts. At the same time, however, the industry remains regionally anchored: economic clusters form in which manufacturers, service providers, suppliers and research institutions cooperate; solutions for energy storage or sector coupling are being tested at locations with a lot of wind energy; jobs are being created and new industries or wind farms are becoming important sources of tax revenue for municipalities. But also social conflicts about the acceptance or the locations of wind turbines occur on the local level. The REENEA team's findings underscore the importance of social interactions that significantly shape the course and success of regional energy transitions. In particular, (absent) actor activities that consolidate and institutionalize the transition process explain differences in the development of (regional) transitions. Effective informal and formal collaborations of committed actors enabled some regions to develop into successful and broad-based wind energy sites. However, these successes are not automatically permanent at the regional level but can potentially be eroded at any stage of development by changes in external framework conditions. Regional actors have to deal with such changes, which can both accelerate and slow down the transition process. The importance of regional networks and institutions differs depending on the value creation position: While plant manufacturers, for example, are increasingly dependent on international markets, it is important for project developers to know local stakeholders in order to secure local land and obtain permits. If regional decision-makers perceive project development agencies and landowners as regionally anchored, this contributes significantly to the acceptance and legitimacy of wind energy development.

The research project REENEA focuses on the energy transition on the regional level and how it is constituted by social processes and interactions. It aims firstly to understand better the phenomenon of „Energiewende“, which has hitherto mainly been researched in general terms and on the national level, through developments in the wind energy sector on the regional level. Secondly it aims to provide an empirical underpinning to what has so far been a mainly scientific, conceptual debate in transition research. Processes of regional transition are being observed and analysed through comparative case studies of the wind energy sector in different regions in Germany.

REENEA combines competencies from sociology, political sciences, economics and economic geography. Together the team develops innovative, inter-disciplinary concepts to complement existing approaches in transition theory. The role of actors from different societal fields (politics, administration, industry, science, finance, representative bodies and civil society) in the regional innovation and transformation process is analysed through the concept of regional transformation fields. Regional transformation is explained through the interplay of processes of negotiation, norming and learning.

The regional level is at the centre of attention for the project but dependencies of and impacts on the supra-regional context (national, international and global) are also considered. Six regions in Germany are chosen for a detailed analysis of the change processes taking place in the regional wind energy sector through mainly qualitative research methods (document analysis, 20 to 30 interviews, observation).

On the one hand, this comparative design enables the REENEA team to draw conclusions on the dynamics which underpin the social processes of transitions. Thus, they contribute to the further conceptual development of transition theory. On the other hand, existing concepts and theories about the place specificity of transition processes are empirically substantiated. Finally, the methodical review of the results allows the REENEA team to develop policy recommendations for a regionally sensitive management of necessary or desired transitions.

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