TY - JOUR

T1 - Facilitating regional energy transition strategies:

T2 - Toward a typology of regions

AU - Lutz, Lotte Marie

AU - Lang, Daniel Johannes

AU - Wehrden, Henrik

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2017 by the authors.

PY - 2017/9/1

Y1 - 2017/9/1

N2 - The regional level is essential for the use of renewable energies since on this level national political goals are harmonized with implementation activities. Hence, regional strategies can, we argue, be useful. Yet, these strategies must be tailored to meet a variety of contextual conditions. Within this study, we identified natural and socio-economic conditions that need to be considered when developing regional strategies for Energiewende. Focusing on these conditions, we conducted a multivariate statistical analysis of all 412 German districts (Landkreise). We identified nine energy context types characterized by different renewable energy potentials and socio-economic conditions. We propose to develop one generic regional energy transition strategy for each of the energy context types. These can serve as a governance tool that operationalizes and allocates national Energiewende goals according to regional contextual conditions. Moreover, the energy context types may support regional decision makers by allowing them to prioritize steps in the transition process, to establish networks with, and to learn from, similar regions.

AB - The regional level is essential for the use of renewable energies since on this level national political goals are harmonized with implementation activities. Hence, regional strategies can, we argue, be useful. Yet, these strategies must be tailored to meet a variety of contextual conditions. Within this study, we identified natural and socio-economic conditions that need to be considered when developing regional strategies for Energiewende. Focusing on these conditions, we conducted a multivariate statistical analysis of all 412 German districts (Landkreise). We identified nine energy context types characterized by different renewable energy potentials and socio-economic conditions. We propose to develop one generic regional energy transition strategy for each of the energy context types. These can serve as a governance tool that operationalizes and allocates national Energiewende goals according to regional contextual conditions. Moreover, the energy context types may support regional decision makers by allowing them to prioritize steps in the transition process, to establish networks with, and to learn from, similar regions.

KW - Sustainability Science

KW - Energy Transition

KW - Region

KW - Transformation

KW - Strategies

KW - renewable energy

KW - Energiewende

KW - context

KW - social innovation

KW - transition strategies

KW - Transdisciplinary studies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85028711550&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/su9091560

DO - 10.3390/su9091560

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 9

JO - Sustainability

JF - Sustainability

SN - 2071-1050

IS - 9

M1 - 1560

ER -