Institutional Work and (De)Politicisation Within Regional Transitions Towards Renewable Energies – Experiences from Southern Germany

The German energy transition involves a decentralisation of energy production and new actor networks in so-called ‘energy regions’. Collaborative network-based governance (understood as a largely consensus-oriented and largely depoliticised mode of decision-making) is considered a key determining factor for the success of regional energy transitions. The paper introduces an alternative view on the development of governance structures by combining the practice-oriented concept of institutional work from neo-institutional theory with the concept of (de)politicisation. Drawing on a case study of an energy region in Southern Germany, we analyse the institutional practices of the actors involved and demonstrate how the governance system has been shaped by actions and strategies of different actors, involving different institutional settings and spatial scales. On the one hand the institutionalisation of the energy transition has led to a societal politicisation of energy issues within the region. On the other hand certain institutions have been established to resolve conflicts by removing discussion from parliament, thereby depoliticising energy issues on a governmental level. Our analysis shows how energy governance is connected to processes of politicisation and depoliticisation and points to the role of political conflicts and power in regional energy governance.