This conference on energy transition focuses on the empirical study of concrete territories, adopting a systemic approach framed by the concept of the nexus. This notion highlights the dynamic interactions between three fundamental dimensions: society, environment, and technology. By applying this framework across diverse regions and territories—regardless of the specific technologies underpinning their energy systems—the conference aims to advance a comprehensive understanding of energy system transformations. Particular emphasis will be placed on their evolution in the context of public policy implementation and from a pragmatic sustainability perspective.

Energy transition, territory, society-technology-environment nexus, sustainability

In the context of climate change and the imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy systems still largely dependent on fossil fuels, the notion of energy transition has gained prominence in political, economic, and media discourse across Europe. While often presented as a broadly accepted objective, it remains a contested concept, particularly among climate-skeptical circles, as evidenced by the United States' withdrawal from the Paris agreements. Moreover, significant divergences persist regarding its precise definition (Hourcade & Van Neste, 2019). Its goals range from preserving the current paradigm of abundance to advocating for degrowth through energy sobriety (Aykut & Evrard, 2017; Parrique, 2022).

Traditional socio-technical approaches, which emphasize the reciprocal influence of technological and social factors (Simondon, 1958; Akrich, 1989), are increasingly inadequate for addressing the complexity of contemporary environmental challenges. Socio-ecosystems are not merely technical constructs but dynamic systems shaped by continuous interactions between natural and societal processes. Beyond theoretical debates, it is essential to examine the territorialization of energy transition (Duran, 2020)—its concrete manifestations across specific regions— (Mattina et al., 2023 ; Meyer et Weber, 2024), where global imperatives, which are often abstract and a-territorial, intersect with local governance structures and socio-economic realities (Bombenger & Larrue, 2014).

By bringing together six Human-Environment Observatories (OHMs) (Chenorkian, 2020)—four in France and two in North America—the ENERGON program, supported by the LabEx DRIIHM (https://www.driihm.fr/en) has enabled the study of diverse energy transition reconfigurations. These include the decommissioning of major energy infrastructures, such as the closure of the coal-fired power plant in the former Provence Mining Basin (Daviet, Schleyer-Lindenmann et al., 2024) and the shutdown of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant in Alsace (Meyer et al., 2022). Additionally, transitions manifest as catalysts for local development, as seen in projects such as the planned dam in the Rhône Valley amid ongoing river restoration (Barthélémy et al., 2022), the new hydroelectric facility in Nunavik (Northern Quebec), the expansion of photovoltaics in Pima County, Arizona (Le Tourneau et al., 2024), and the shift toward wood-energy in the Pays de Bitche, Lorraine (Robin, 2022).

These case studies (Daviet, Barthelemy et al., 2024) have served as testing grounds for applying the nexus framework to energy transitions, considering the interdependencies between society, technology, and the environment. Inspired by the Water-Food-Energy nexus (Urbinatti et al., 2020), this perspective acknowledges that interventions in one domain inevitably impact the other two. Consequently, every energy transition project inherently integrates these three dimensions, along with their reciprocal effects. The nexus approach, understood as a web of interconnections, facilitates the dismantling of disciplinary silos (Cairns & Krzywoszynka, 2016), enabling the development of integrative methodologies attuned to territorial dynamics, to the materialities of transitions (Forget, Bos, Carrizo, 2021) and resource flows (territorial metabolism). Such an approach is critical for assessing the consequences of energy transitions on socio-ecosystems (Cumming & Collier, 2005; Ostrom, 2007).

Energy transitions entail multiple reconfigurations. Technical reconfigurations refer to shifts in energy production, transport, and consumption systems, including decarbonization processes. Societal reconfigurations encompass the restructuring of public and private actor networks (Velut & Ghorra-Gobin, 2006; Perrin & Bouisset, 2022), the evolution of public policies, and changes in economic models. Environmental reconfigurations involve the redistribution of land use, landscape transformations, resource pressures, and broader ecological shifts. Each of these dimensions follows distinct temporalities and is shaped by constraints, accelerations, and threshold effects, leading to moments of crisis characterized by tension and systemic instability.

This conference aims to analyze a broad spectrum of territorial case studies through the nexus lens to deepen our understanding of energy transition dynamics. Key questions include:

• Axis 1: Do these reconfigurations unfold in conflictual or consensual contexts? and what are the modalities of consultation and public debate?
• Axis 2: Do they reinforce existing path dependencies, or do they foster new trajectories through innovative dynamics ?
• Axis 3: To what extent do climate and biodiversity concerns align, or do they sometimes generate tensions? What about resources?
• Axis 4: How are governance structures and energy systems being reconfigured across different scales? What are the links between local and regional or national levels?

By exploring these issues, the colloquium seeks to generate insights into the complex interplay between societal, technological, and environmental dimensions of energy transitions.

References

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