This paper investigates the use of scientific knowledge in the formulation of renewable energy policies in Portugal over the past 15 years. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Policy Advisory Systems and employing Social Network Analysis, based on data collected from official documents and interviews with 37 policy stakeholders, the study examines the role and positioning of academic actors within the broader policy advisory network for energy transition in the country. The findings reveal that academia occupies a peripheral position in this network. Scientific knowledge in this policy domain is primarily mobilized through personalized and informal relationships with policymakers, rather than through institutionalized and stable structures such as permanent forums or advisory councils. Furthermore, the state laboratory dedicated to energy has undergone a prolonged process of capacity erosion and marginalization, struggling to translate its scientific output into actionable policy advice. This context supports the interpretation that scientific knowledge is predominantly used symbolically in Portugal’s renewable energy policies—that is, not as a foundation for decision-making, but rather as a tool to legitimize pre-existing political choices, which end up reinforcing the dominance of certain sociotechnical imaginaries about the energy transition while marginalizing others.

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Renewable,Energy Policymaking,Portugal,Scientific Advisory

• Political Science - Social Sciences
• Other Social Sciences - Social Sciences