Negotiating energy democracy in practice: governance processes in community energy projects

Veelen, Bregje van

doi:10.1080/09644016.2018.1427824

Cited by 136 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 47 publications

(72 reference statements)

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“…The emphasis on justice and equality being integral to the current energy transition has found particular resonance in the 'energy democracy' movement and is central to the outlook of numerous civil society groups engaging in contested, highly localised energy projects [21,22]. The many intersections between genuinely sustainable development and the burgeoning green economy have led to conflict or, at the very least, contested interpretations as to how they should be configured [23,24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community acceptability and the energy transition: a citizens’ perspective

2019

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Background: Every energy transition has had its winners and its losers, both economically and in terms of social justice and community cohesion. The current transition is no different given the complex, intersecting matrices of power and experience that influence the key stakeholders and actors involved. Local oppositions to the deployment of renewable energy technologies have been significantly higher than expected. In numerous instances, these oppositions have been in reaction to the disempowerment of local rights and entitlements associated with specific developments. Consequently, there is a clear need for governance structures and organisational formats that are participatory, inclusive and mindful of the lived experiences of local people. Despite the knowledge gaps and financial constraints that continue to persist, how can local communities become empowered to drive project development and meaningfully engage in the low-carbon energy transition? Methods: This paper presents a methodology for investigating citizen perceptions of the energy transition and the kinds of roles they see themselves having in its implementation. Working with six communities across five European countries (France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the UK), we conducted a series of iterative cross-sectional community engagements using a mixed methods approach. In addition, a number of innovative participatory action research tools were incorporated to engage citizens in co-designing their own energy transition pathways. Results: Participants expressed having restricted agency as citizens participating in the energy system. They also felt locked in to a limiting set of false choices as 'energy consumers' that do not translate into real or meaningful power, despite popular narratives to the contrary. The research also resulted in a co-designed characterisation tool to help local communities assess the energy democracy and citizen participation potential of a number of participatory business models. Conclusions: Citizens remain locked out of the decision-making processes of the energy transition. We outline a more integrated approach, using co-design and participatory action research, to incorporate citizen perspectives into the planning and implementation of more appropriate business configurations. This paper presents demonstrable examples of how extended stakeholder perspectives can improve procedural justice outcomes and ensure the rollout of more equitable energy configurations into the future.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community acceptability and the energy transition: a citizens’ perspective

2019

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“…Such acceptance is encouraged inter alia by the prevalence of strong institutional capacity, political commitment, favorable legal and regulatory frameworks, competitiveness of the new technology, mechanisms for information and feedback, and access to financing [73]. The acceptance and uptake of LLCEIs in the regime can for instance foster "energy democracy" [74] (see also [75,76])-an enhanced sense of democratic and community control of energy generation, distribution, and the energy system itself-and "energy justice" [76]-safeguarding principles of procedural, distributive and recognition justice in the energy system. These concepts of enhanced citizen involvement and influence coalesce in a so-called "Thousand Flowers" transition pathway, which takes small-scale, distributed generation, local ownership and decision-making as a starting point for governing the low-carbon energy transition [77].…”

Section: Opening Up the Regime For The Uptake And Acceptance Of Llceismentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Intermediaries in Supporting Local Low-Carbon Energy Initiatives

et al. 2018

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Recent scholarly attention shows that grassroots civil society low-carbon energy initiatives increasingly become part of the subnational climate change governance landscape. Despite their potency in view of consumer-owned distributed generation and enhanced citizen influence in the organization of the energy infrastructure, local low-carbon energy initiatives (LLCEIs) struggle to become viable alternatives to the centralized, private oriented energy system. To further LLCEI development, support needs to build their capacities; alleviate institutional hurdles and barriers stemming from the fossil fuel-based energy regime; and open up the system for the uptake, acceptance or breakthrough of LLCEIs. Evidence suggests that so-called "intermediaries" form a part of the solution in addressing these issues. Despite previous attempts at analyzing intermediary roles and activities vis-à-vis the development of community energy, the reality of the various roles and strategies intermediaries can employ and the support LLCEIs require to further develop have not yet been synthesized in a comprehensive analytical framework. This article aims to fill this gap by developing such a framework. We reflect on the analytical framework by evaluating the intermediary support structure in a specific case: the Province of Fryslân. From the analysis, we conclude that the Frisian case provided modest support to the claim that intermediary support is effective in addressing the needs of LLCEIs as the strategies and roles observed represent a complete and coherent support structure.

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“…Some studies go against that current, putting more emphasis on the social aspects of sustainability, e.g., combining a balance between supply and demand with assuring participation [59], or combining regrowth (halting deforestation) with public health issues of biomass (indoor air pollution because of woodfuel use for cooking), as well as concerns for soil quality, desertification, species loss [60], or food security [61], female labor force participation [62], or household incomes [51]. This current of research echoes more normative and political theoretic work in energy studies, which has recently seen the development of concepts and frameworks of energy justice [63], emphasizing fairness and social inclusion, or energy democracy [64,65] which focus on political participation and ownership. What is lost, however, is the environmental dimension-in all the above-discussed frameworks that were undermined by socio-economic concerns.…”

Section: Level 3: Two-pillar Sustainability: Broader Sustainability Fmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards Sustainable Wood-Based Energy: Evaluation and Strategies for Mainstreaming Sustainability in the Sector

Szulecka

2019

Sustainability

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Bioenergy, mostly from wood biomass, is now widely seen as an important element in the efforts to tame dangerous climate change. At the same time, foresters and development specialists note that wood-based energy production can contribute to rural development. However, to deliver on these two goals without generating negative side effects, wood-based energy has to be sustainable, while currently, the sector is developing rapidly in ways that are technologically advanced, with questionable sustainability. How can sustainability be achieved in bioenergy production, to make it a viable element of climate change mitigation, adaptation, and rural development? Arguing for the need to mainstream sustainability thinking into wood-based energy production, the article draws on a critical literature review to identify four different levels of sustainability in the existing research on bioenergy from wood. It shows two possible strategies for integrating sustainability in wood bioenergy production. A top-down approach draws on global forestry governance instruments, while a bottom-up approach uses best-practices in forest plantations for bioenergy purposes, as illustrated by a case study from rural Paraguay. Using aggregated and visualized sustainability indicators, the article exemplifies what sustainable bioenergy production means in more tangible terms.

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Negotiating energy democracy in practice: governance processes in community energy projects

Cited by 136 publications

References 47 publications

Community acceptability and the energy transition: a citizens’ perspective

Community acceptability and the energy transition: a citizens’ perspective

The Role of Intermediaries in Supporting Local Low-Carbon Energy Initiatives

Towards Sustainable Wood-Based Energy: Evaluation and Strategies for Mainstreaming Sustainability in the Sector

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