Introduction

This chapter reviews the history and contemporary trajectories of energy systems and their governance, with particular reference to the urbanisation of modern societies. It examines the systemic shift in European societies from a post war era of welfare capitalism to contemporary neo-liberalism in relation to the consequences for energy systems, and for urban government. Once in place, energy infrastructures in the ubiquity, mundaneness and reliability appear to be stable socio-technical arrangements. Strong mutual dependencies are created between a system and its users, as more social practices coalesce around the availability of large scale, long-lived energy networks and institutions. European energy systems were developed as integrated, urban, regional and/or national monopolies, and relied on coordination, and often cross-subsidy, with other public services. In European countries where municipal energy systems were well established, liberalisation and privatisation have been associated with diminishing local or regional control over generation and supply of heat and power.