Interaction between energy incumbents and solar entrants: Relationship status complicated

Abstract

This paper contributes to the conceptualization of niche-regime interaction through a retrospective study of the evolution of business relationships between new entrant solar firms and incumbent municipal electric utilities in Sweden. We analyse how activity links, resource ties and actor bonds evolve over time and discuss the resulting interactions. We find that the relationships initially created mutual benefits, combining utilities’ brands and sales channels with solar firms’ technology competences. Most collaborations later turned into conflict due to the solar firms’ strengthened network positions and the clash between their private sector logic and the utilities’ public sector logic. Conceptually, we emphasize (1) changes in the relative importance of different resources (technology-related interactions), (2) decreased alignment of goals, strategies, and values (institution-related interactions), and (3) shifts in the relative power of new entrants vis-à-vis incumbents (network-related interactions). This leads us to question the common association of niches with new entrants and regimes with incumbents.