Negotiating and Narrating Futures in Regional Energy Transitions. A Cross Case Analysis of the Central German Coal District and Extremadura

Energy transitions are not only shaped by socio-technical and institutional change, but also by narrative negotiations over which futures are imaginable and desirable. The local level constitutes a key arena in which these struggles unfold. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork in two peripheral regions – Zeitz (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany), shaped by the phase-out of lignite coal, and Cáceres (Extremadura, Spain), confronted with proposed lithium extraction – this paper examines how local actors articulate and negotiate future visions. Using a framework that foregrounds temporal, spatial, and affective dimensions of narratives, the analysis shows that narratives structure how transformation is envisioned, legitimize competing development pathways, and shape place-based identities. The findings demonstrate that negotiations over future pathways are closely tied to interpretations of the past. Historical experiences of loss and dependency shape whether transformation is perceived as an opportunity for agency or as a source of uncertainty and resistance.