Cloudy days for solar energy

A study of the Spanish solar photovoltaic Feed-in Tariff through the Multi-Level Perspective and Socio-technical Transition Pathways

Abstract

This article explores the under-researched area of policy failures from a Multi-level Perspective (MLP) theoretical framework. In the process, it builds on MLP as a framework and suggests theoretical additions that may increase its explanatory power: the consideration of politics in regimes by exploring power dynamics and the importance of landscapes in influencing transitions. The article offers a contextualization of energy policy in Spain. It then outlines the theoretical framework combining MLP to the socio-technical transition pathways and adding political economy to the regime level. In the analysis it explores the interactions between niche, regime and landscapes followed by a discussion of the ability of the theory to explain and explore policy failures. The article concludes landscape and regime levels are essential in explaining the Spanish SPV case while highlighting the importance of power relations, especially within the regime level. It finally challenges Multi-level Perspective to further explore the complexity of the relations among its different levels. The article suggests further exploration of policy failures as a source of both theoretical and political insight.