Cultures of Energy Systems Planning in Germany and Denmark

Leon Wansleben

Green energy transitions – switching to energy systems exclusively or predominantly based on renewable technologies – rely on planning. Planning is necessary to support renewables buildout, expand and transform grids, integrate previously separate parts of the overall energy system (electricity, heat, mobilty), and coordinate supply with various forms of energy use. Planning is also critical to anticipate and manage “carbon lock-ins” and distributional interests among energy producers, grid operators, and various energy user groups. Combining historical comparative with organizational approaches, this project asks why some countries are better equipped to plan green energy transitions than others. It particularly focuses on infrastructural path dependencies, the political influence of so-called infrastructure coalitions, institutional configurations of energy policy, and the emergence of distinct energy expert communities after the 1970s oil crisis. The idea is that the respective path dependencies have enduring effects on the possibilities and limits to plan zero-emission energy systems today. The study compares cultures of energy systems planning in Germany and Denmark since the 1970s and their differing successes of decarbonization in various sectors.