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The Rise and Fall of Energy Democracy: 5 Cases of Collaborative Governance in Energy Systems

Berthod, Olivier ; Blanchet, Thomas ; Busch, Henner LU orcid ; Kunze, Conrad ; Nolden, Colin and Wenderlich, Michelle (2023) In Environmental Management 71(3). p.551-564
Abstract
A wide range of actors are seeking to democratize energy systems. In the collaborative governance process of energy system transitions to net zero, however, many energy democracy concepts are watered down or abandoned entirely. Using five renewable energy case studies, we first explore the diversity of energy democratizing system challengers and bottom-up actors. Secondly, we analyze the role of conflict and challenges arising from the subsequent collaborative governance process and identify what appear to be blind spots in the CG literature. Our case studies on Berlin (GER), Jena (GER), Kalmar (SWE),
Minneapolis (US) and Southeast England (UK) include different types of policy processes and actors. They suggest that actors championing... (More)
A wide range of actors are seeking to democratize energy systems. In the collaborative governance process of energy system transitions to net zero, however, many energy democracy concepts are watered down or abandoned entirely. Using five renewable energy case studies, we first explore the diversity of energy democratizing system challengers and bottom-up actors. Secondly, we analyze the role of conflict and challenges arising from the subsequent collaborative governance process and identify what appear to be blind spots in the CG literature. Our case studies on Berlin (GER), Jena (GER), Kalmar (SWE),
Minneapolis (US) and Southeast England (UK) include different types of policy processes and actors. They suggest that actors championing energy democracy principles play an important role in opening participation in the early stages of collaborative energy transition governance. As collaborative governance progresses, participation tends to be increasingly restricted. We conclude that collaborative processes by themselves are insufficient in maintaining energy democracy principles in the energy transition. These require institutional embedding of participative facilitation and consensus building. The Kalmar case study as our only successful example of energy democracy suggests that a more intermediated and service-oriented approach to energy provision can create a business case for democratizing energy provision through collaborative governance. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
energy democracy, collaborative governance, renewable energy
in
Environmental Management
volume
71
issue
3
pages
551 - 564
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:85135275067
  • pmid:35906345
ISSN
0364-152X
DOI
10.1007/s00267-022-01687-8
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
87b7d9c2-c4f4-462a-a5d4-a397bda4b477
date added to LUP
2022-08-02 09:00:32
date last changed
2023-02-22 11:46:17
@article{87b7d9c2-c4f4-462a-a5d4-a397bda4b477,
  abstract     = {{A wide range of actors are seeking to democratize energy systems. In the collaborative governance process of energy system transitions to net zero, however, many energy democracy concepts are watered down or abandoned entirely. Using five renewable energy case studies, we first explore the diversity of energy democratizing system challengers and bottom-up actors. Secondly, we analyze the role of conflict and challenges arising from the subsequent collaborative governance process and identify what appear to be blind spots in the CG literature. Our case studies on Berlin (GER), Jena (GER), Kalmar (SWE),<br/>Minneapolis (US) and Southeast England (UK) include different types of policy processes and actors. They suggest that actors championing energy democracy principles play an important role in opening participation in the early stages of collaborative energy transition governance. As collaborative governance progresses, participation tends to be increasingly restricted. We conclude that collaborative processes by themselves are insufficient in maintaining energy democracy principles in the energy transition. These require institutional embedding of participative facilitation and consensus building. The Kalmar case study as our only successful example of energy democracy suggests that a more intermediated and service-oriented approach to energy provision can create a business case for democratizing energy provision through collaborative governance.}},
  author       = {{Berthod, Olivier and Blanchet, Thomas and Busch, Henner and Kunze, Conrad and Nolden, Colin and Wenderlich, Michelle}},
  issn         = {{0364-152X}},
  keywords     = {{energy democracy; collaborative governance; renewable energy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{551--564}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Environmental Management}},
  title        = {{The Rise and Fall of Energy Democracy: 5 Cases of Collaborative Governance in Energy Systems}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00267-022-01687-8}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00267-022-01687-8}},
  volume       = {{71}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}