Public Policy and Governance Narratives of Distributed Energy Resources in Brazil

Narrativas de Políticas Públicas y Gobernanza de la Energía Distribuida en Brasil

Abstract

Based on the policy document analysis method and a conceptual framework derived from Science and Technology Studies, this paper analyses the construction of institutionally legitimated forms of discursive limitation of energy governance in Brazil. The paper analyzes a subset of selected vital policy documents produced by regulatory bodies such as the National Energy Agency (ANEEL) and the Energy Research Office (EPE). As an insight for further research on the governance of energy policy, the paper’s contribution to the debate is to bring to the fore the relevance of recasting the whole process of regulation of distributed energy in terms of an attempt to build a narrative of control over socio-technical innovation with the potential to democratize access to and use of energy services. This policy narrative’s unspoken goal is to retain control of the Brazilian energy transition at the central level.

Keywords:
Distributed Energy Resources; governance; socio-technical conflicts; Brazil; energy transition