Whose and what futures? Navigating the contested coproduction of Thailand’s energy sociotechnical imaginaries

Abstract

The futures of energy in developing countries need to be catalyzed, created, and nurtured in a process hinged towards achieving the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. This paper looks at how Thailand produces this normative energy future. Using the STS concept of sociotechnical imaginaries and empirical evidence gathered through interviews and document analysis, this paper critically engages, describes, and compares the dominant and resistant imaginaries in the ongoing production of Thailand’s energy future. I highlight three core imaginaries and describe how they intertwine with political economy, are determined by value sets and value systems, and present either visions of continuity or transformation. The dominance and/or marginalization of an imaginary, it appears, are contingent upon issues of power and resources. This entails that the production of energy futures in Thailand and beyond would be an ongoing process intertwining with heterogeneous actors and institutions, their value systems, interests and politics. Understanding these tensions and allowing alternative imaginaries to permeate policy-setting processes would be key in delivering a coherent and effective public policy.