New Institutionalisms and Mechanisms of Comparative Policy Analysis

Abstract

This dissertation examines why renewable energy transitions unfold differently across political and economic institutional systems by comparing the structures shaping solar development in Texas and Saudi Arabia. Both regions possess strong solar resources and face decarbonization pressures; however, their trajectories diverge in terms of pace, coordination, and policy effectiveness. This study evaluates the institutional environments, governance arrangements, and historical pathways’ structural opportunities and constraints in renewable energy transitions.Using a comparative institutional framework integrating New Institutional Economics, Transaction Cost Economics, and Path Dependence, the research applies process tracing, archival research, and project-level comparison supported by regulatory filings, operational data, national planning documents, and reports from public energy institutions. The findings show that decentralized, contract-based institutional systems reduce uncertainty and coordination hazards, while hierarchical, layered systems elevate administrative transactions and reinforce carbon-centric routines, shaping transition outcomes.