State-Level Dynamics in Energy Governance in the United States

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

As the U.S. energy transition progresses, state-level institutions play an outsized role in shaping not only the pace of decarbonization but also the equity and legitimacy of energy governance. This panel brings together four interdisciplinary papers that illuminate how variation in state regulatory frameworks, political dynamics, and institutional design influences energy sector outcomes—from renewable project siting and utility performance to pricing innovation and energy justice. Together, the papers provide a multi-scalar analysis of how public policy, political context, and governance structure shape the contours of energy decision-making across the country.

Sina Jangjoo and Xue Gao examine the phenomenon of local opposition to wind energy siting through the lens of contested rule formation in institutional voids, offering new insights into how the absence of clear authority allows negativity bias to dominate unless mitigated by credible local safeguards. Joshua Basseches interrogates the historical roots of state-level renewable energy policymaking, demonstrating that bipartisan (or non-partisan) support for Renewable Portfolio Standards was once common, and tracing how national political polarization—especially after 2010—has reshaped the state-level policymaking landscape. Jaime Garibay-Rodriguez and Morgan Edwards focus on time-of-use pricing and thermal energy storage as policy levers for enabling residential electrification, showing how targeted incentives can drive cost-effective adoption and reduce energy burdens in underserved regions. Finally, Mohsen Fatemi introduces a novel causal framework for understanding energy justice outcomes among U.S. investor-owned utilities, revealing how regulatory configurations interact with institutional characteristics and market dynamics to produce varied justice outcomes across states.

Together, these papers illuminate the central role that state-level dynamics play in shaping the contours of U.S. energy governance. From the emergence of opposition in local siting conflicts to the shifting partisan politics of renewable policy adoption, from the design of pricing regimes that enable electrification to the institutional determinants of energy justice, each study demonstrates how state-specific choices condition the effectiveness, legitimacy, and equity of energy governance. By highlighting the interplay between political context, regulatory frameworks, and institutional capacity, the panel underscores that energy governance in the United States is not monolithic but is instead deeply shaped by the diverse and evolving policy landscapes of the states.

Policy Area

• Natural Resource, Energy, and Environmental Policy

Secondary Policy Area

• Innovations in Science and Technology

Chair

• Shanti Gamper-Rabindran, University of Pittsburgh

Discussants

• Benjamin Leffel, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Juniper Katz, University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Organizer

• Mohsen Fatemi, University of Kansas

Individual Presentations

• From Institutional Voids to Opposition Events: Contested Rule Formation in U.S. Wind‑Farm Siting - Presenting Author: Sina Jangjoo, Florida State University; Non-Presenting Co-Author: Xue Gao, Florida State University

• How the Nationalization of Climate Politics Polarized State-Level Renewable Energy Policymaking - Presenting Author: Joshua Basseches, Tulane University

• Toward a Theory of Energy Justice: Uncovering Plausible Pathways in the U.S. Investor-Owned Utility Sector - Presenting Author: Mohsen Fatemi, University of Kansas

• Collaborative Pathways to Just Transitions: Assessing the Consumer’s Role in EV Manufacturing Policy - Presenting Author: Mokshda Kaul, University of Wisconsin-Madison