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Normative Alignment, Institutional Resilience and Shifts in Legal Governance of the Energy Transition

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  • Michiel A. Heldeweg

    (Department of Governance & Technology for Sustainability, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands)

Abstract

In Europe, the energy transition by means of a governance shift through liberalization is followed by a transition and shift towards community energy initiatives, with a particular view of supporting the demand for greater energy sustainability. What institutional legal consequences, as constraints and opportunities for lawful behaviour, follow from a shift in legal governance towards facilitating resilient community energy services? This conceptual article looks for an answer to this question by combining governance theory with Ostrom’s IAD-framework and Institutional Legal Theory. A key aspect is understanding normative alignment (as institutional conduciveness and resilience) in relation to the possible shift from the current institutional environment of regulated energy market to that of a community energy network. The heuristic and analytical (design) relevance of the approach is illustrated with two policy examples contrasting the energy democratization and energy expansion frames, and discussed also in the perspective of energy governance experimentation with community energy initiatives in The Netherlands. Three scenarios of shifts in legal governance are identified. The key issue in legal governance design is the choice between these, particularly with respect to the integrity of institutional environments in terms of former frames to provide proper guidance to operational (experimental) activity.

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  • Michiel A. Heldeweg, 2017. "Normative Alignment, Institutional Resilience and Shifts in Legal Governance of the Energy Transition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-34, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:7:p:1273-:d:105279
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    2. Koirala, Binod Prasad & van Oost, Ellen & van der Windt, Henny, 2018. "Community energy storage: A responsible innovation towards a sustainable energy system?," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C), pages 570-585.
    3. Donné Wagemans & Christian Scholl & Véronique Vasseur, 2019. "Facilitating the Energy Transition—The Governance Role of Local Renewable Energy Cooperatives," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-20, November.
    4. Heldeweg, Michiel A. & Séverine Saintier,, 2020. "Renewable energy communities as ‘socio-legal institutions’: A normative frame for energy decentralization?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    5. Imke Lammers & Thomas Hoppe, 2018. "Analysing the Institutional Setting of Local Renewable Energy Planning and Implementation in the EU: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-22, September.
    6. Saurabh Biswas & Clark A. Miller, 2022. "Deconstructing knowledge and reconstructing understanding: Designing a knowledge architecture for transdisciplinary co‐creation of energy futures," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(2), pages 293-308, April.
    7. Busch, Henner & Ruggiero, Salvatore & Isakovic, Aljosa & Hansen, Teis, 2021. "Policy challenges to community energy in the EU: A systematic review of the scientific literature," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    8. Wittmayer, Julia M. & Avelino, Flor & Pel, Bonno & Campos, Inês, 2021. "Contributing to sustainable and just energy systems? The mainstreaming of renewable energy prosumerism within and across institutional logics," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    9. Marc Ringel, 2018. "Tele-Coupling Energy Efficiency Polices in Europe: Showcasing the German Governance Arrangements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-27, May.
    10. Thomas Hoppe & Anna Butenko & Michiel Heldeweg, 2018. "Innovation in the European Energy Sector and Regulatory Responses to It: Guest Editorial Note," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-16, February.
    11. Esther C. van der Waal & Alexandra M. Das & Tineke van der Schoor, 2020. "Participatory Experimentation with Energy Law: Digging in a ‘Regulatory Sandbox’ for Local Energy Initiatives in the Netherlands," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-21, January.
    12. Séverine Saintier, 2017. "Community Energy Companies in the UK: A Potential Model for Sustainable Development in “Local” Energy?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-18, July.

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