From innovation to integration: institutional design challenges for emerging energy storage technologies in the Netherlands

Innovative energy technologies play an important role in the transition to a climate-neutral society by 2050, but their inherent uncertainty and rapid evolution challenge current institutional designs, inhibiting the integration of these technologies into the broader energy system. This study investigates the challenges for institutional design arising from emerging energy storage technologies in the Netherlands. Theoretically, it offers an overview of institutional design challenges resulting from emerging technologies, as described in the existing literature. Based on document analysis, interviews, and focus groups, this study demonstrates how, in the case of energy storage, emerging technologies interact with current institutions, and it analyzes the challenges that arise from this interaction. By integrating insights from the literature on institutional design and emerging technologies, the study develops an analytical ordering to examine these challenges, while also paying attention to the temporal dimension of institutional design. The findings offer insights for practitioners seeking to adjust existing institutions to emerging technologies, particularly to accelerate the energy transition. • Examines how emerging energy technologies challenge existing institutional design • Develops a framework to categorize institutional challenges of new technologies • Applies this framework to energy storage technologies in the Netherlands • Identifies misalignments with laws and regulations as well as interests and values • Offers insights for the governance of emerging technologies in the energy transition