Regime resistance and accommodation in sustainable energy transitions

To accelerate the decarbonisation of electricity generation, a more nuanced understanding of incumbent firms’ power and influence is required.  Applying neo-Gramscian concepts to sustainability transitions theory, this study investigated the ways in which incumbent actors contributed to the development of residential solar feed-in tariffs in Victoria, Australia.  The single case study collected and analysed data from documents and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with key informants.  The research found that incumbent actors drew on material, institutional and discursive forms of power to both resist and accommodate feed-in tariffs, generating useful insights for policymakers, firms and civil society organisations who seek to accelerate sustainable energy transitions.