Temporalities of future governance: Modern and contemporary modalities in energy scenarios

In this article, we characterize two modalities of future governance by analyzing how scenarios are used in the energy sector. We argue that these modalities are underpinned by different temporalities: a linear temporality, where the present is a consequence both of the past and of present decisions that shape the future (in the modern modality), and a non-linear temporality, where the coexisting present and future emerge simultaneously (in the contemporary modality). The two temporalities affect the design and use of scenarios in different ways. In the modern modality, scenarios involve a normative premise and a quantitative figuration process, and refer to future disruptions as a possible event, a problem that can be overcome or controlled. In the contemporary modality, scenarios involve an explorative premise and a qualitative figuration process, and future disruptions are conceptualized as potentiality, promoting future change. Through its analysis, the article highlights and contributes to our understanding of the relation between temporalities and the governance of imagined futures.