1. Making new spaces for new energy politics
Making new spaces for new energy politics? Devolution in the UK, (anti) politics and system boundaries
Richard Cowell
School of Geography & Planning
Cardiff University
Free Word Centre, London,

2. Context and questions: Government/governance structure of the UK is in flux; Alternative energy pathways often assume scalar shift in governing arrangements Is state re-scaling an ingredient in energy transition? Under what conditions?

3. Some theoretical perspectives: Andrew Barry’s concept of ‘technological zones’ Boundaries may be especially problematic and likely to make things political New ‘pragmatic’ school of French sociology, after Boltanski and Thévenot, seeing society as constituted by multiple orders of worth, co-existing in situations, where struggles to resolve disputes arises

4. Energy governance in Wales, post- devolution Wales largely an undifferentiated part of technological zones of UK energy systems; few energy-related powers; can chart efforts to carve out agency Major (politicised) concern is control over major energy consents. Otherwise, modest progress e.g. securing seat at table in TZ governance (e.g. For Ofgem). Still little engagement on issues of, say, market support for renewables

5. Energy governance in Scotland, post- devolution Compare and contrast with Wales! Strong political interest in/greater capacity for active energy policy post Scottish energy agendas rocked by post-2010 UK government policy changes; also had devolution referendum But post-2014 legislation changes and energy policy agendas show only modest change, in similar spheres to Wales

6. In UK government’s submission to the Silk Commission: ‘Maintaining a strategic GB-wide approach is key to ensuring a stable, long- term policy framework to facilitate necessary private sector investment’.

7. Conclusions and themes Are boundaries shaping what becomes political around energy, and where critique confronts ‘the serial viscosity of the real’ (Boltanski) Look not just at principles or levels of government, but at concrete situations/disputes, which have generative properties Methodologically look more at how territorial actors ‘jump scale’, the arenas in which they might operate, and the justifications they confront Of course, devolved government/government generally not necessarily the epicentres of innovation