Theorizing energy landscapes for energy transition management: Insights from a socioecological history of energy transitions in Bermuda

Energy production systems all over the world are in the early stages of a structural shift from below ground fossil fuels toward above ground energy flows i.e., solar, wind, biomass, and other forms of renewable energy. In other words, the energy transition implies a profound landscape transformation. Theories and practices in energy transition management are currently underpinned by 'society-technology' or sociotechnical perspectives drawn from sustainability transition studies, which foreground political-economic rhythms and institutions that contribute to infrastructure lock-in and path dependence. The significance of these dominant views notwithstanding, they are inattentive to the challenges of landscape transformation and often relegate geographic space to a backdrop upon which sociotechnical transitions take place. The purpose of this paper is to foreground a `society-environment' or socioecological perspective of energy transition and, in so doing, begin to take seriously its spatial dimensions. Our approach brings the energy landscape concept into dialogue with ideas about the production of space and materiality in order to conceptualize the ways in which an energy transition is intertwined with material landscapes (e.g., landscape aesthetics and land-use patterns), territorial structures acting upon landscapes (e.g., land-use planning policy), and social values drawn from and embedded in those landscapes (e.g., emotional attachments and livelihood strategies). We apply this approach to an analysis of energy transitions on the British overseas territory of Bermuda from circa 1819 to present day. The research highlights the broader landscape transformations throughout the island's efforts to establish itself as a British Royal Navy coaling station and then as a tourist destination, and links these histories to the contemporary political ecological factors shaping renewable energy deployment on the island. Conceptually, the paper attends to the influence of society-environment relations in shaping the articulation of technological transitions in particular places and times. More specifically, the research identifies how land-use systems and landscape values contribute to 'lock in' and 'path dependency' that must be destabilized in order to facilitate energy transitions. Practically, the paper highlights the need to integrate energy planning with collaborative land-use planning as part of energy transition management.