Heterogeneous infrastructure and governance of low-carbon transition in Qingdao, China

The examination of infrastructure realities exposes the fallacy of assuming ubiquity of the modern networked infrastructure paradigm. Heterogeneous infrastructure studies examine urban systems as intricate assemblages of diverse material and immaterial components to reveal their complexity. Modern infrastructure stands at the intersection of sustainable transition and complex urban issues. The multifaceted governance process and the multi-factor infrastructure configurations are interlaced, potentially leading to a sustainable transition. Through assemblage thinking, this paper provides a comprehensive analysis of an energy infrastructure transition in Qingdao, China. We discuss: (1) the horizontal, vertical, and local infrastructure governance processes that influence the outcomes of low-carbon transition; (2) the stable assemblage built by the state-owned grid company that has become a resistance to transition; and (3) constraints on end-user agency that have contributed to their insensitivity to transition. The analysis draws on heterogenous infrastructure configurations’ extension of infrastructure ontology to elucidate the essential elements of energy infrastructure transition practices, offering a heuristic for transition governance measures.