Government characteristics and policy-making ambitions in Dutch Regional Energy Strategy regions: barrier or opportunity for the energy transition?

This study will focus on different RES regions in the Netherlands by using a multiple case study. The research can help add to the literature on socio-technical transitions and the multilevel perspective, by looking at a way to structure RES region intercomparison when looking at the energy regime. It was found that of all governance characteristics identified, RES regions have strong differences in their leadership structures and policy-making ambitions. Funding problems together with limitations in capacity, natural resources, elected officials, and problem ownership lead to these differences in leadership structure and policy-making ambitions. In the end, the characteristics, the bias of elected officials, financial limitations, capacity, and problem ownership, were found to be hurdles or strengths depending on the circumstance.