Pampean modalities of energy transition: between the incorporation of renewable sources and social innovation

In Argentina, the use of renewable sources is fostered as a means of reaching sustainable energy systems. Towards the end of the 20th century, renewable energy initiatives are deployed in different regions of the country: solar energy in Puna and Cuyo, wind energy in Patagonia, and biomass in the North East. This paper aims to study the energy transition process in the Pampas Territories, through the study of photovoltaic and wind energy projects. To that end, three cases, in the provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe and Cordoba were selected. For each of them, the actors involved, the institutional frameworks, their origin and management are analyzed by means of secondary sources and interviews with key informants. The projects, of different scales and with different stimuli and purposes, show the deployment of different modalities of transition, ranging from the mere incorporation of renewable sources, to the creation of more distributed and participatory energy schemes, anchored in social innovation.