When government-led experimentation meets social resistance? A case study of solar policy retreat in Shenzhen, China

Low-carbon energy transitions envision deep decarbonization of the consumption, distribution, and production of the energy system. Urban areas are the frontier for low-carbon transitions. Despite increasing attention on the role of urban politics in urban energy transitions, transition governance in China still follows a rather functionalist and instrumentalist logic that highlights the government's leadership in resource mobilization. Disproportionate report of successful cases has reinforced this governing logic, while shadowed the political dynamics of transition processes, particularly the role played by local communities. Through a failed case of solar experimentation in Shenzhen, China, this article shows that the success of low-carbon experiments is not necessarily guaranteed by the strong governance capacities of local governments. Strong social resistance can produce a countering effect on the outcome of low-carbon experiments. The study calls for future research to adopt a more dynamic and holistic perspective of urban energy transitions and to take account of the mediating or even countering effects of urban politics.