ABSTRACT
This chapter uses a comparative analysis of two iconic 'electric cities' – Berlin and Hong Kong – to explore the legacies of past socio-technical configurations for today's attempts to realign urban energy systems. It explores the impact of geopolitics on urban energy systems and the energy security strategies that have emerged in response to infrastructure isolation and subsequent integration. The chapter highlights the spatial dimensions of the strategies, as exemplified in the reconfiguration of electricity networks around the territorial confines of the city. It investigates some past instances where energy autarky became regarded as a political and technical necessity to secure the continuous and adequate supply of electricity. The chapter offers an illustration of the research potential by setting the ongoing energy transitions in Berlin and Hong Kong in the context of their urban energy histories. It contributes to the some bodies of work by exploring connectivity between energy autarky and energy security as components of urban energy transitions.
