Governance and renewable energy adoption: Assessing the state's role in solar energy uptake in Iran

This study investigates how government managers in Golestan Province, Iran, interpret and respond to national directives aimed at promoting solar energy adoption. Despite Iran's substantial solar potential and supportive national policies, the uptake of solar technologies within public institutions remains limited. Drawing on 28 semi-structured in-depth interviews with senior and mid-level government officials and employing thematic analysis, the study identifies two overarching themes: Managers' Actions and Managers' Orientations. The findings demonstrate that socio-political acceptance within the state is severely constrained by institutional decoupling. Provincial managers face conflicting mandates—such as national renewable targets that conflict with provincial security directives requiring diesel generators—leading to symbolic compliance (e.g., installation of decorative solar panels) while continuing reliance on fossil fuels. By integrating socio-political acceptance with institutional decoupling, the Technology Acceptance Model, and Diffusion of Innovations, this study extends renewable-energy acceptance research from public and market actors to acceptance and resistance within the state apparatus. The findings suggest that aligning national and provincial directives, strengthening inter-agency coordination, and improving managerial capacity are essential for renewable-energy implementation in centralized governance systems and other Global South contexts.