Contested spatialities of renewable energy expansion—Introduction to the theme issue

Renewable energy increasingly complements fossil fuels in meeting rising global energy demand. Yet its rollout is neither even nor free of conflict. This theme issue foregrounds the spatialities and scales of renewable energy infrastructures and examines the deeply contested nature of energy transition efforts. Drawing on case studies from Morocco, Jordan, Namibia, Mexico, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador, the contributions offer insights into recent regional developments and highlight transregional and cross-scalar interrelations. They connect place-based research on contested energy projects in political ecology, geography and anthropology with nation-focused analyses of energy transition policy, and approach scale as an unfolding field of contestation. In doing so, they challenge notions of a homogeneous “local” in analyses of energy conflict and move beyond methodological nationalism while still recognizing the significance of the national scale. Together, the theme issue demonstrates the value of relational approaches for disentangling and understanding the contested geographies of contemporary renewable energy expansion.