Between inertia, stagnation, and transition. A multidisciplinary analysis of key social and environmental challenges and structural barriers in the “Maritsa East” complex
| dc.contributor.author | Kolev, Ivan | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-08-02T17:15:23Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-08-02T17:15:23Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026-08-02 | |
| dc.description.abstract | This paper presents a multidisciplinary analysis of energy transformation, focusing on the structural dependence on coal in the Maritsa Iztok complex. Moving beyond narrow technical paradigms, the framework integrates key concepts from the social sciences and Science and Technology Studies, including “carbon lock-in” (Unruh, 2000), the “risk society” and “organized irresponsibility” (Beck, 1995, 2013), power dynamics in sustainability transitions (Avelino, 2017), the temporality of energy transitions (Sovacool, 2016), the energy justice framework (Jenkins et al., 2016), and the concept of technical democracy (Callon et al., 2009). Drawing on this theoretical synthesis, the paper argues that energy systems are deeply embedded within complex socio-political structures. Carbon lock-in is conceptualized as a co-evolutionary process that reinforces fossil fuel dependence, while institutional frameworks contribute to the diffusion of responsibility for environmental risks. Ultimately, the analysis emphasizes that the energy transition represents a structural conflict between institutional inertia, entrenched networks of influence, and increasingly urgent societal demands for environmental justice and accountability. | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 2534-8442 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://doi.uni-plovdiv.bg/handle/store/1055 | |
| dc.language.iso | other | |
| dc.publisher | Plovdiv University Press | |
| dc.subject | Carbon lock-in | |
| dc.subject | Maritsa East | |
| dc.subject | socio-technical transition | |
| dc.subject | risk society | |
| dc.subject | technical democracy | |
| dc.subject | organized irresponsibility | |
| dc.subject | environmental justice | |
| dc.title | Between inertia, stagnation, and transition. A multidisciplinary analysis of key social and environmental challenges and structural barriers in the “Maritsa East” complex | |
| dc.type | Article |