Scales of governance: Translating multiscalar transitional pathways in South Africa’s energy landscape

Caprotti, Federico; Essex, Stephen; Phillips, Jon; de Groot, Jiska; Baker, Lucy

Abstract

In this paper, we argue for a multiscalar focus on the governance of energy policy and practice. This perspective reveals the translation of agendas and policies across scales stretching from the global to the local. We analyse South Africa’s energy landscape, which is influenced by: a highly complex and dynamic set of generation and production networks, policy strategies, multiple state and non-state actors, and the continuing impact of apartheid. In the paper, we establish a dialogue between Actor-Network Theory and studies of socio-technical transitions to analyse the translation and purification of discourses and practices across scales, and to consider how these processes may impact on spatialised processes of energy transition.

Citation

Caprotti, F., Essex, S., Phillips, J., de Groot, J., & Baker, L. (2020). Scales of governance: Translating multiscalar transitional pathways in South Africa’s energy landscape. Energy Research & Social Science, 70, Article 101700. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101700

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 10, 2020
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2020
• Deposit Date: Jan 17, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 17, 2022
• Journal: Energy Research and Social Science
• Print ISSN: 2214-6296
• Electronic ISSN: 2214-6326
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 70
• Article Number: 101700
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101700
• Keywords: Energy policy, Energy governance, Socio-technical transitions, Actor-Network Theory (ANT), Scale
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629620302759?via%3Dihub