Spatial adventures in energy studies: An introduction to the special issue

This paper has two purposes: first, it makes a case for the development of energy studies perspectives that consider ‘relational space’ as a critical concept organising the provision and use of energy. Second, it presents an overview of this field of research with consideration of the papers included in this special issue. The argument has three parts: first, there is an analysis of the growth of relational perspectives on space and energy looking at current debates within the literature; second, there is an analysis of visual representations of different energy features to demonstrate the empirical importance of a grounded understanding of relational space; third, there is an overview of the papers in this special issue as a means to put forward a diverse research agenda in this area. We conclude that relational perspectives have the potential to inform future energy studies and provide new insights for policy and practice.