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Citizen participation in the electricity system: a reflection on energy democracy in Swedish energy communities

Palm, Jenny LU orcid (2025) p.134-144
Abstract
The European Union's climate strategy emphasises energy democracy, encouraging citizens to participate actively in energy production and consumption as part of the transition to climate neutrality by 2050. This chapter explores the role of energy communities (ECs) in advancing energy democracy, particularly within Sweden's centralised energy system. ECs offer citizens a pathway to collective ownership and participation, fostering energy literacy and empowering prosumers. Despite their potential, Swedish ECs show limited direct citizen engagement, with most members preferring financial investment over active roles. Municipal energy utilities (MEUs) often lead these ECs, providing essential resources but reducing direct citizen involvement.... (More)
The European Union's climate strategy emphasises energy democracy, encouraging citizens to participate actively in energy production and consumption as part of the transition to climate neutrality by 2050. This chapter explores the role of energy communities (ECs) in advancing energy democracy, particularly within Sweden's centralised energy system. ECs offer citizens a pathway to collective ownership and participation, fostering energy literacy and empowering prosumers. Despite their potential, Swedish ECs show limited direct citizen engagement, with most members preferring financial investment over active roles. Municipal energy utilities (MEUs) often lead these ECs, providing essential resources but reducing direct citizen involvement. While MEUs may facilitate broader access to renewable energy, their role raises questions in relation to the role of direct versus indirect democratic energy governance. This analysis highlights the tension between the theoretical ideals of energy democracy and practical citizen engagement, suggesting that meaningful, balanced participation requires innovative models and support for both direct and representational involvement. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Are Low-Carbon Futures Decentralised? : The Governance of Collective Electricity Systems - The Governance of Collective Electricity Systems
editor
Sareen, Siddharth ; Eikeland, Per Ove and Jackson Inderberg, Tor Håkon
pages
134 - 144
publisher
Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
ISBN
9781035355198
9781035355181
DOI
10.4337/9781035355198.00018
project
Resistance and power - on smart grids for the many people II
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
20e011cd-0945-492a-8d29-1140e2ba0cc3
date added to LUP
2025-10-15 18:21:58
date last changed
2025-10-17 04:20:59
@inbook{20e011cd-0945-492a-8d29-1140e2ba0cc3,
  abstract     = {{The European Union's climate strategy emphasises energy democracy, encouraging citizens to participate actively in energy production and consumption as part of the transition to climate neutrality by 2050. This chapter explores the role of energy communities (ECs) in advancing energy democracy, particularly within Sweden's centralised energy system. ECs offer citizens a pathway to collective ownership and participation, fostering energy literacy and empowering prosumers. Despite their potential, Swedish ECs show limited direct citizen engagement, with most members preferring financial investment over active roles. Municipal energy utilities (MEUs) often lead these ECs, providing essential resources but reducing direct citizen involvement. While MEUs may facilitate broader access to renewable energy, their role raises questions in relation to the role of direct versus indirect democratic energy governance. This analysis highlights the tension between the theoretical ideals of energy democracy and practical citizen engagement, suggesting that meaningful, balanced participation requires innovative models and support for both direct and representational involvement.}},
  author       = {{Palm, Jenny}},
  booktitle    = {{Are Low-Carbon Futures Decentralised? : The Governance of Collective Electricity Systems}},
  editor       = {{Sareen, Siddharth and Eikeland, Per Ove and Jackson Inderberg, Tor Håkon}},
  isbn         = {{9781035355198}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  pages        = {{134--144}},
  publisher    = {{Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.}},
  title        = {{Citizen participation in the electricity system: a reflection on energy democracy in Swedish energy communities}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781035355198.00018}},
  doi          = {{10.4337/9781035355198.00018}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}