Marius Buchmann

• Information management is becoming a new stage in the electricity supply chain. The term information management here refers to the collection, processing, aggregation and distribution of data (e.g. from smart metering) in the electricity system. The primary driver for the development of this new task is the increasing share of renewable electricity supply (RES). Smart grids should deploy the efficient integration of RES into the energy system, i.e. information and communication technologies should be applied to the electricity distribution grids. The information management system should facilitate the data exchange within smart grids. This thesis takes an institutional perspective and addresses four key questions related to the governance of information management. Chapter 2 provides an analysis of the institutional environment of information management and discusses which role could become responsible for this new task. Building upon joined work with my colleagues I propose in chapter 3 a stakeholder-based governance approach for information management. The fourth chapter discusses whether a central or a decentralized governance approach for information management better facilitates innovation. Chapter 5 builds on the stakeholder based governance approach introduced in chapter 3 and discusses how the decision-making process could be designed to secure governance innovation and non-discrimination of third parties.