Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/eist Original Research Paper Transitioning from coal: Toward a renewables-based socio- technical regime in Saskatchewan Margot Hurlbert a , Mac Osazuwa-Peters a, *, Kathleen McNutt a , Jeremy Rayner b a Johnson Shoyama School of Public Policy, 3rd Floor, College Avenue Campus, 2155 College Avenue, Regina SK, S4S 0A2, Canada b Johnson Shoyama School of Public Policy, Diefenbaker Building, 141-101 Diefenbaker Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B8, Canada ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Multi-level transitions Prosumers Niche innovation CCS Renewable cooperatives De-carbonization ABSTRACT This article analyzes the third (1994) and fourth (2015) epochs of Saskatchewan’s energy system and the actors and their networks associated with the transition into a renewable future. A case study method was employed using analyses of the structural, institutional and historical context of power production and energy systems transitions in Saskatchewan. The historic rise of coal is discussed but analysis focuses on the displacement of coal and the era of decarbonization and renewables. Actors, their problemitizations, and narrative processes complement the discussion of transitions away from coal and advancing renewables. The analysis provides policy implica- tions for future coal phase-out including the rise of renewable cooperatives and prosumers. 1. Introduction Understanding the processes driving transitions to clean energy is increasingly important given commitments to limit our world to 450 ppm of CO 2 in the atmosphere and maintain global warming below 2 degrees Celsius. Since this objective cannot be accom- plished with slow incremental change (Vaughan and Lenton, 2011), the need for transition is pressing, but the pathway is unclear. What is clear however, is that coal, unless it is clean, is not a favoured pathway. On the other hand, renewables like wind and solar have emerged as clear favourites. Exploring alternative pathways is important as many climate mitigation scenarios rely on com- binations of carbon capture and storage (“CCS”) technology 1 (Scott et al., 2004; Elzen and Vuuren, 2008; Koebl et al., 2014), renewables, and to a lesser extent, nuclear (Tavoni et al., 2012) (although there are contrary opinions) (de Coninck and Benson, 2014). Policy researchers now concern themselves with studying how actors, policy instruments and their networks enable such transitions. In Saskatchewan, questions concerning the future of coal have strong practical implications because power production is con- trolled by SaskPower, a Crown-owned corporation. 2 Saskatchewan power production has become largely dependent on coal-fired power generation due to the existence of a vibrant coal mining industry in the province. This portfolio of electricity production based on coal is transitioning to one which is less carbon-intensive (see Table 1). Landscape developments influencing the transition include Canada’s commitments at the Paris Climate Agreement, a new federal energy policy imposing a carbon tax, and a growing anti-coal public sentiment (Rivers, 2014; Smith et al., 2005). SaskPower is planning that renewables will constitute 50 % of its generation capacity by 2030 (SaskPower, 2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2019.11.005 Received 18 January 2019; Received in revised form 5 November 2019; Accepted 11 November 2019 ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: osazuwao@uregina.ca (M. Osazuwa-Peters). 1 This technology can be applied to several non-renewable sources including coal 2 In Canada, Crown-owned corporations are established by statue, structured like private or independent companies, owned by the province or federal government establishing them, with their profits payable to the government. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx 2210-4224/ © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Please cite this article as: Margot Hurlbert, et al., Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2019.11.005