Hernieuwbare energie voor iedereen: Een multitheoretisch analyseraamwerk voor bestuurders en ontwikkelaars voor sturing op publieke waarde in duurzame ontwikkeling en transities

Abstract

The energy transition reflects fundamental changes in energy supply. During that transition, society also expects the high-quality nature of the energy supply to be maintained. The energy transition is therefore confusing and makes people have to deal with uncertainty. They not only experience changes in the energy supply, but also a change from a consumption paradigm (purchasing of energy) to an exploitation paradigm (self-generating and consumption of energy). The objective of the research is to gain insight into whether and how parties (public, private, citizens) are able to involve everyone in a community in the development of renewable energy production and consumption. The thesis’ presents the ‘analysis framework for steering on public value in sustainable development’. The framework shows what parties do to support the ambition of renewable energy for everyone. It is based, amongst others, on Elinor Ostrom's ‘institutional analysis and development framework’, on Mark Moore’s work on public value, and on the collaborative governance philosophy, in particular Ansell & Gash’s ‘contingency model of collaborative governance’. The framework provides an instrument for recording and analyzing the input of diverse disciplines in public value creation and in this way combines policy development and system development. The ambition of 'renewable energy for everyone' implies that renewable energy is to be viewed as a ‘common-pool resource’, one type of goods according to Elinor Ostrom’s typology of goods. It has two characteristics. One characteristic is that the use of a good by one is at the expense of the possibilities for the other to also use that good. The other characteristic is that excluding a party from a good is considered to be socially undesirable or unacceptable, and may therefore incur social costs. The analysis framework illustrates that public administrators are committed to ensure access to and developers are committed to unlock renewable energy. For evaluation purposes a ‘two-dimensional public value grid’ has been introduced for mapping the public value of an initiative or program along the axes of 'profitable revenue' and 'social added value'. Arrangements between parties that have influenced the achievable public value are the subject of analysis focused on three intervening variables for cooperation: institutional design determining the scope for creativity and design freedom, starting conditions representing the balance in power, knowledge and resources between cooperating parties, and facilitating leadership for alignment and safeguarding the common goal. The analysis framework has been applied on three cases located in The Netherlands: a wind farm near Coevorden, a renewable energy supply for real estate in the center of The Hague, and renewable energy as part of an area development of the Heijplaat district in the municipality of Rotterdam. The analysis framework makes possible to determine whether and how arrangements play a role in the course of the achievable public value. It can not only be used for evaluation of steering on public value in a completed or ongoing case, but also in current or new initiatives and projects, and in common-pool resource situations other than renewable energy, such as medical care.