ABSTRACT
Concepts of power are central to energy transitions and the role of development cooperation. If we understand power as “the production of causal effects” and the “transformative capacity” hold by human agents to produce effects (Scott 2001, p. 1), its conceptualization should provide answers to the question of how development assistance affects renewable energy development and how donor agencies push or make use of the transformative power in a given governance arrangement. Multi-level analytical frameworks such as multi-level governance and the multi-level perspective in transitions studies have been criticized for ignoring power-related aspects (Geels 2010; Hendriks and Grin 2007; Shove and Walker 2007, 2008; Voß et al. 2007). This stands in sharp contrast to empirical findings from around the world. Incorporating power into reflections about energy transitions should therefore not only be empirically fruitful, but also further advance theoretical discussions in the field (Smith and Stirling 2005).
