Integration patterns of renewable energy firms through global and local city networks: a comparative analysis on China and the US

Against the backdrop of accelerating global production network restructuring and the rapid ascent of the renewable energy sector, understanding how firms embedded in differing institutional environments integrate across local and global scales is crucial for interpreting the spatial logic of the energy transition. Drawing on 2023 headquarters – subsidiary data for Chinese and US renewable energy firms, this study constructs city-based integration networks to comparatively analyse the structural dynamics of production networks under distinct political-economic systems. Our analysis reveals three key findings. First, despite institutional divergence, localised networks in both countries exhibit strong territorial embeddedness, with electricity supply and manufacturing constituting the core sectors. Second, the state remains a pivotal actor; rather than serving merely as an institutional backdrop, it functions as an active network participant that reshapes firms’ modes of embeddedness, intercity linkages and spatial organisation. This finding reinforces the imperative of placing the state at the centre of analytical frameworks regarding renewable energy systems. Third, while globalisation levels remain relatively limited, integration pathways differ markedly: China displays a springboard pattern mediated heavily by Hong Kong, whereas the US exhibits a more polycentric, multi-nodal configuration. The pronounced regionalisation observed in both contexts highlights the strategic necessity of fostering autonomous regional supply chains and leveraging key gateway nodes to navigate an increasingly fragmented global energy landscape.