Regional Institutional and Intermediary Influence on a Decentralized Energy System: A comparative Analysis of two Smart Energy Hubs in the Netherlands
Summary
Grid congestion has become an urgent issue in the Netherlands, impacting businesses and initiatives across sectors. This research investigates how regional institutional and intermediary actors influence the embedding, translation and scaling of SEHs as a response to this issue. SEHs are initiatives to transform the electricity grid into a decentralized energy system. The research is focused on two pioneering SEH projects: Lage Weide in Utrecht and Hessenpoort in Zwolle.
The main research question of this study was: To what extent do regional institutional and intermediary actors influence the transition of SEHs in the regions of Utrecht and Zwolle? The methodological approach used to answer this question is a qualitative comparative case study. It utilizes semi-structured interviews with institutional and intermediary actors, belonging to parties such as provinces, municipalities, regional development agencies and entrepreneurial representatives. The results demonstrate that the regional actors influence SEHs through different approaches. It identifies differences between a bottom-up approach, driven by entrepreneurs (Lage Weide) with a top-down approach, driven by institutions (Hessenpoort). Both cases highlight the importance of intermediaries in building trust and collaboration between public and private stakeholders. Furthermore, structural barriers to an efficient adoption and scaling of SEHs were identified. The most notable example is the inflexible regulatory framework of grid operators.
This research concludes that successful implementation of SEHs depends on a balance between institutional initiative and perceived entrepreneurial ownership. It emphasizes the need for adaptive governance structures, proactive intermediary roles and flexible regulatory frameworks. This enables the embedding, translation and scaling of SEHs. These insights are relevant to policymakers and regional actors that desire to accelerate the transition towards a decentralized and sustainable energy system.