The Governance of Sector Coupling: Challenges of Inventing the Second Phase of the German 'Energiewende'

From a technical perspective, sector coupling or sector integration (i.e. the coupling of electricity, heat/cooling, mobility) has become one of the central topics regarding the transformation of energy systems. The increasing share of renewable energies in the energy mix, coupled with obvious problems in achieving the energy system transformation goals formulated in the German government's energy concept, have triggered a broad discussion about suitable policies and instruments for the appropriate governing of sector coupling. While the expansion and integration of renewable energies in the electricity sector can be described as the first phase of energy transition, the increasing use of technologies for direct electricity use in the fields of heating/cooling and mobility indicate the transition to the qualitatively different second phase. From a governance perspective, we can identify specific problems of coupling of the different sectors. Already in the 1970s, Renate Mayntz and Fritz Scharpf (1975) drew attention to coordination problems arising from the coupling of at least two different arenas. Scharpf describes these as "interaction problems". In his typology of policy problems, these form the most complex type, since they require simultaneous coordination of both territorially as well as topically differentiated units. With regard to the energy transition, this means: 1) The control of the expansion of renewable energies represents a "level/standard fixation problem" (which concerns the amount of produced goods), which can be solved relatively easily by distributive instruments. 2) Network expansion, on the other hand, is a "distribution problem" more difficult to solve, insofar it involves a territorially differentiated distribution of the costs and benefits. 3) The requirements for the governance of sector coupling fulfil the characteristics of “interaction problem”. This raises the question of suitable institutions and instruments that can enable "problem solving" under the condition of twofold differentiation. The paper aims to overcome the focus on the technical dimension of sector coupling and to develop an analytical political science approach to the topic. For this purpose, I will firstly present the characteristics of sector coupling as a transition to a second phase of energy transition. Secondly, sector coupling will be modeled as an interaction problem. Thirdly, I will discuss possible governance strategies of sector coupling against the institutional background of the German multi-level system and, fourthly, examine the potential of institutions in the field of coupling energy and mobility (former National Platform Electro Mobility, National Platform Future of Mobility) to initiate governance capable of problem-solving.