Transmission transitions: Barriers, drivers, and institutional governance implications of Nordic transmission grid development

Transmission grid development is key for the decarbonization of our energy systems, but has not been much addressed within the social sciences of energy studies. This paper addresses this gap and examines institutional barriers for developing the grid towards a decarbonized Nordic power system by 2050. The analysis focuses on current grid development practices from an institutional perspective to understand barriers and drivers to grid development for the case of Sweden. The results show that the transmission grid development regime is generally capable of implementing the grid investments needed to support a decarbonized Nordic power system, but that there are a few key barriers that need to be addressed. From this analysis we deduce possible governance options that could alleviate the barriers, enabling the development of the transmission grid that is needed for the Nordic power grid to become decarbonized by 2050.