Elsevier

Energy Research & Social Science

Volume 3, September 2014, Pages 102-112
Energy Research & Social Science

Original research article
More than filler: Middle actors and socio-technical change in the energy system from the “middle-out”

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2014.07.011Get rights and content

Abstract

This paper concentrates on ‘middles’ and ‘middle actors’ in energy systems and introduces a “middle-out” framework for examining and supporting systemic change to a lower carbon society. We propose this “middle-out” approach as a complement to “top-down” and “bottom-up” strategies. Our approach suggests that two essential elements for successful systemic change are actors’ agency and capacity, where ‘agency’ refers to actors’ abilities to make their own free choices, and ‘capacity’ refers to actors’ abilities to perform the choices they made. We argue that due to their position between top and bottom actors and between technology and implementation, middle actors play crucial functions in the transition process. Their abilities are based to their own agency and capacity which they can exercise to influence the agency and/or capacity of other actors. The paper discusses middle actors vis-à-vis ‘intermediaries’ and demonstrates the value of the middle-out approach. Through elaborated examples of three middle actors – congregations, building professionals, and commercial building communities – it shows how middles exert influence upstream (to top actors), downstream (to bottom actors) and sideways (to other middle actors) through mediating, enabling and aggregating both themselves and others. A few weaknesses of this approach are discussed as well.

Section snippets

Introduction – the missing middle

Keeping the ‘lights on’, the ‘cars moving’ and the ‘economy growing’ are seen by many as vital indicators for a thriving and healthy modern society. These rely on well-functioning energy systems, which we define as the set of technologies, physical infrastructures, institutions, policies and practices which enable the generation, delivery, and use of energy and its services. At the same time mitigating climate change requires a transition to a low-carbon society which entails fundamental and

On agency, capacity and change

In sociology, individuals’ actions, behaviors and behavioral change are explained, among other things, by their ‘agency’ and by ‘structure’. In short, ‘agency’ refers to the individuals’ capabilities to act independently and make their own free choices, while ‘structure’ refers to factors that shape or limits individuals’ opportunities to act on those choices. ‘Structure’ includes variables such as social class, religion, gender and ethnicity [17]. For many years ‘agency’ and ‘structure’ were

Middle actors and energy

Energy systems present particular challenges for policy and governance as they tend to reflect long-term historical forces and crisis events, and tend to lead to lock-in rather than change [45]. Transforming energy systems requires coordinated efforts and changes amongst numerous actors and institutions [7]. Coordinated efforts are also needed in order to meet the challenge of changing the energy behavior of end-users.

The type of interventions needed to mobilize and support such changes in the

Middle-out approach and strategy

Similar to the literature on intermediaries, middle actors serve mediating functions between the top and the bottom. We argue that in addition, middle actors might be better ‘equipped’ than intermediaries with qualities that top actors lack (or are perceived of lacking) and bottom actors appreciate, such as trustworthiness, legitimacy, and ability to shape social norms and practices. They might also have resources essential for action, which the bottom lacks, such as pre-established procedures

Middle actors: creating change from the middle out

So far our discussion on agency, capacity, middle actors and the middle-out approach has been rather theoretical and conceptual. Below we apply these concepts to the examination and analysis of three specific examples of middle actors – congregations, building professionals, and commercial building communities – in terms of their agency, capacity and middle-out roles in changing energy systems. The middle actors discussed below are not the ‘usual suspects’ when it comes to energy policy.

More than filler: middles versus intermediaries

In a previous section, we reviewed some of the literature on intermediaries, drawing particularly on van Lente, Hekkert [41], Hodson et al. [38], and Backhaus [44]. We noted there is an overlap between middle actors and the literature on intermediaries. In this section, we argue that our concept of ‘the middle’ is also distinct from that literature. Based on our examples of congregations, building professionals, and commercial building communities, we argue the case for using middle and

Summary, discussion and policy implications

In a time when urgent and large scale changes are called to stabilize the climate, we should take advantage of all the routes in which new ideas, behaviors and practices might be introduced. Policies that focus either on top-down or bottom-up approaches are often introduced, while the full potential and roles of the middle and middle actors tend to be overlooked. Similar to but more strongly than the literature on intermediaries (e.g., [11]) we argued and demonstrated here that the middle is

Acknowledgements

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 2011 European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ECEEE) Summer Study. This work has been supported by the UK Energy Research Centre under its Demand Theme (http://www.ukerc.ac.uk). UKERC is funded by the UK Research Councils’ Energy Programme.

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