The role of local energy initiatives in co-producing sustainable places

Abstract

During the first two decades of the twenty-first century, the introduction of policies that promote renewable energy in Western European countries facilitated a shift towards the production of cleaner energy and its decentralisation. Subsidies, incentive schemes, and declining installation costs-combined with rapid technology advances-made the investment in small-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and wind turbines more attractive for individuals and small businesses. Simultaneously, we observe the emergence of citizen initiatives which aim to provide public services across various sectors, including renewable energy generation and distribution. These initiatives, started by citizens, often involve the participation of local residents and prioritise social and environmental goals. In some areas, governments and engaged citizens work together to achieve common goals through citizen-government co-production. In this article, we address the question: how can the co-production of government(s) and citizens, through local energy initiatives, contribute to the shaping of more sustainable places? Using the PlaCI model-a conceptual model of citizen initiatives and their role in shaping sustainable places-we conduct an analysis of WindpowerNijmegen, a citizen-led renewable energy cooperative in the Netherlands. We assess who the relevant stakeholders are, what are the enabling conditions for fruitful collaboration, which new arrangements are established, and how they contribute to shaping more sustainable places. The results indicate that local energy initiatives are place based, conditioned by the characteristics of the physical space needed for the production of renewable energy, specific institutional arrangements, place-based assets and people's capacities characteristic for the place, and past collaboration.

Collective Action with Altruists: How Are Citizens Led Renewable Energy Communities Developed?

“…They thus deliver energy savings or develop niche projects that regime actors do not have access to (e.g., by combating NIMBY) [10]. Additionally, they experiment with innovative technologies and develop social innovations in the form of new consumption and production practices that challenge mainstream growth-based conceptions [4,6,7,11]. Still, despite their strength from using local and alternative conditions to their advantage, grassroots initiatives face several challenges, such as having to rely on volunteers, lacking professional workers and institutional support or long-term funding [1,12].…”

“…Such initiatives involve the development of new practices, patterns and social actor networks that spur the scaling-up of technological innovations and, thereby, contribute to the energy transition. In addition, local energy initiatives also play an important role in changing consumer behaviors, and they empower citizens to replace existing social structures and eliminate carbon lock-in [1,[5][6][7]. Although the importance of local energy initiatives in the sustainability transition is increasingly acknowledged, we still know relatively little about their formation and operation.…”

Building a Common Support Framework in Differing Realities—Conditions for Renewable Energy Communities in Germany and Bulgaria

“…Following the line of work of previous studies such as [2,16,17], the review aims at identifying common determinants for the success or failure of RECs. Following the identification of these factors in the literature, they were classified according to the area in which they influence the development of RECs and were organized into three main categories.…”

“…A lack of supporting policies and incentives on a national level and governmental preference for distributed generation schemes have been pointed out as reasons for an insufficient energy transition progress and a meagre number of RECs in various countries [17,23,24]. Regulatory and financial support is one of the most crucial factors for the success of community energy [5].…”

Citizen Science and Citizen Energy Communities: A Systematic Review and Potential Alliances for SDGs

“…Overall, community benefits, lower energy costs, environmental concerns, energy independence, and interaction with the local organizations seem to be stronger motivators than potential profits [62,63]. Citizens-as-scientists should be effective at recognizing and quantifying, the value of place-based development and shared place meanings when designing decentralized, autonomous, and sustainable energy communities [64,65]. With a focus on local development and the understanding and practice of community energy benefits and values, citizen science might contribute in at least two ways.…”