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Governing Energy Transitions Under System Complexity:Why Coordination Failures Persist Despite Networked Governance
Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Karlstad Business School (from 2013). Karlstad University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (starting 2013), Service Research Center (from 2013).
2026 (English)In: Sustainability, E-ISSN 2071-1050, Vol. 18, no 14, article id 7188Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Energy transitions depend on coordination across interdependent actors, infrastructures and practices. As electrification, sector coupling and decentralisation reshape energy systems, governance challenges have shifted from control-oriented delivery towards problems of interaction, responsibility and system coordination, yet governance arrangements continue to struggle with persistent coordination failures across institutional contexts. This article argues that such difficulties cannot be explained as implementation problems or insufficient cooperation alone. Coordination failures are conceptualised as manifestations of a mismatch between how energy systems function and how they are governed, distinguishing supply-chain governance assumptions from energy systems operating as service networks. The analysis shows how prevailing governance remains oriented towards linear responsibility and asset-based performance, even as outcomes increasingly depend on coordinated action and resource integration in use. Network-based arrangements represent partial adaptations that acknowledge interdependence without reconfiguring underlying governance logics. Building on this diagnosis, three design principles-relational accountability, alignment-based performance measurement, and constitutive coordination-clarify what a genuine shift in governance logic would entail, as distinct from adaptive overlays. The framework is illustrated through regional energy governance experiences in Sweden and comparable European settings, clarifying why coordination failures persist in sustainability transitions characterised by complex socio-technical interdependence.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
MDPI, 2026. Vol. 18, no 14, article id 7188
Keywords [en]
energy governance, energy transitions, network governance, service networks, governance design
National Category
Economics and Business
Research subject
Business Administration
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-111928DOI: 10.3390/su18147188ISI: 001833415900001OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kau-111928DiVA, id: diva2:2090814
Available from: 2026-08-10 Created: 2026-08-10 Last updated: 2026-08-10Bibliographically approved

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Johnson, Mikael

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  • Other locale
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