Entrepreneurial actions in energy transition: A study of three local energy clusters in Poland

Abstract

This article discusses the roles that various forms of entrepreneurial action (economic, social, political) play in the emergence of new socioeconomic fields during the process of energy transition. The article is based on the results of qualitative research conducted among actors involved in establishing microgrids in Poland. We analyze three cases that differ in terms of the dominant form of entrepreneurial action, the capital at play, and the state of the field. We assert that the development of local energy initiatives requires the interplay of all three forms of entrepreneurial action. All three are necessary for the newly established field to be resilient, economically optimized, and embedded in not only political and business networks but also in the community at large.