Samenvatting

In regional energy strategies (RES) in the Netherlands, governments, the business community and social organizations reach agreements about sustainable energy generation. Because major interests are involved, it is necessary to anchor democratic legitimacy properly. However, this is not self-evident: there is no institutional structure for the RES within which a democratic framework and accountability are laid down. This article therefore focuses on the following design question: ‘How can the democratic legitimacy of the regional energy strategies as a form of regional governance be improved?’ It proposes improvements that increase the quality of decision-making in the RES regions. The theoretical perspective includes a conceptualization of democracy and legitimacy. The data for this study come from an analysis of the ways in which the Dutch RES regions of Twente and West Overijssel deal with this situation. Experiences with these interpretations were collected through literature research, document analysis and interviews with administrators, representatives of the people and the officials involved. Based on this, recommendations are formulated that contribute to improving the democratic legitimacy of the RES regions. The combination of democratic renewal and regional decision-making emphasizes the relevance of these outcomes for the follow-up process of the RES regions in the Netherlands: RES 2.0 will be determined in 2023, in which a shift will take place to more concrete search areas for sustainable energy.