Thesis supervisor: François-Mathieu Poupeau
When the first experimental calls for tenders were launched in 2003, offshore wind power had a promising future on the French coast. Nineteen years later, only one wind farm is producing electricity, while all of the initial production targets have been postponed. Behind the scenes, the government's approach to offshore wind power policy deserves to be questioned and placed in the broader context of energy transition policy implementation. Although the state is the main driver, it does not have a free hand: offshore wind power is a typical example of multi-level governance, where different levels (local, national, supranational) have the capacity to take action. Through general learning about planning (spatial, sectoral), concepts of technology and territory will be developed, as well as the role of the state and local authorities in general, whether political, economic, or associative. This thesis therefore seeks to examine the development of offshore wind power through the prism of its planning (past and present). By understanding the logic behind its design and the capacity for action of the actors involved (state, RTE, interest groups, local authorities), the study aims to shed light on the logic behind the territorialization of offshore wind power and the multi-level governance mechanisms at work.
Year of enrollment: 2022
Doctoral school: Organizations, Markets, Institutions – OMI