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Paper short abstract:

Developing countries often need to make strides in localizing renewable energy technologies and institutions before achieving balanced energy transitions. Using a techno-social systems framework, this paper sheds light on previously overlooked angles in the sustainable development literature.

Paper long abstract:

This paper uses the conceptual framework of techno-social systems (Sheikheldin & Hambly 2024) to consolidate findings in extant literature on challenges and opportunities for renewable energy (RE) mini-grids in Africa with recent findings from a study on non-state actors in RE in Africa, with field observations from Tanzania. While RE sources can contribute significantly to the goal of balancing demands for sustainable and inclusive development with requirements for climate change mitigation, Low-and-middle-income countries need to make strides in processes of technological and institutional localization for RE sub-sectors before they can fulfill that role. Using a techno-social systems perspective, which prioritizes elements where social and technological dynamics interact, sheds light on those challenges from angles that are different from ones often highlighted in extant literature. Through comparing our study findings with the literature on RE mini-grids in Tanzania, we came to identify two main shared sources of delayed adoption and localization of RE: 1) symptoms of separating RE from sustainable development and industrialization narratives, rendering RE solutions being considered only second options (to communities and policymakers); and 2) resistance to change as a systemic symptom in cases of technological development. Both symptoms can be addressed using approaches and remedies learned from best practices and cases articulated in the literature on diffusion strategies (e.g., Rogers 2003) and localization activities (e.g., Sheikheldin & Devlin 2019). The main objective of the paper is to improve our understanding of techno-social barriers to expanding electrification projects and achieving just energy transition.