Discourses of Abundance: Transitions in Israel's Energy Regime

This article examines an on-going socio-technical transition of the Israeli energy regime. This transition includes a shift away from a discourse about the scarcity of energy to a discourse on its abundance. The emerging regime is centred on natural gas, oil shale, nuclear energy and solar energy as alternatives to coal and oil. Despite the uncertainties and complexities that still constrain these new energy alternatives, perceived abundance of energy has several ramifications for the socio-technical transition of the Israeli energy regime, including its future pathways, technological trajectories and institutional arrangements. We examine these ramifications by analysing the transition through the analytical lens of discursive institutionalism in order to highlight the less visible aspects of the transition, such as conflicting values, hidden interests, restricted pathways, social unease and compromised sustainability.