Energy justice within, between and beyond European community energy initiatives: A review

Bommel, Natascha van; Höffken, Johanna

doi:10.1016/j.erss.2021.102157

Cited by 77 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…Literature reviews show that energy justice literature tends to use the three tenets of energy justice , although work using other approaches exists (Heldeweg & Séverine Saintier, 2020; Lacey-Barnacle, 2020 ; Rasch & Köhne, 2017 ; van Bommel & Höffken, 2021 ; van der Horst, 2014 ). While literature on the three tenets of energy justice and RECs exists, there is little engagement with the question of whether some tenets are more important than others and what the minimal conditions for justice are.…”

Section: Energy Justice and Rec’smentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Renewable and community-driven energy projects have received much praise for their potential in securing a just energy transition. Recent scholarly work has however taken a more critical approach, using the lens of energy justice to reflect on internal dynamics of local RECs in their interaction with broader local, national and regional decision-making (Mundaca et al, 2018 ; Roeser & Pesch, 2016 ; van Bommel & Höffken, 2021 ). In this work, justice issues within energy cooperatives are analyzed using the framework of three tenets of energy justice.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Community Heroes and Sleeping Members: Interdependency of the Tenets of Energy Justice

et al. 2022

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Energy justice literature generally treats its three tenets, distributional justice, procedural justice and recognition justice, as separate and independent issues. These are seen as separate dimensions by which criteria can be formulated for a just state of affairs. And a just state of affairs regarding energy should fulfill all criteria. However, we show, using empirical research on six European energy communities that the tenets of energy justice are interdependent and negotiated in practice. We show this interdependency using three core concerns of justice—risk, effort and power—which we identified through our empirical work. Our findings reveal that community members are often willing to take risks and put in effort, if they are compensated with more power within the community. Similarly, members are willing to compromise power if no effort or risk-taking is required from them. This demonstrates the interdependency of the tenets “procedural justice” and “distributional justice” within energy communities. We reflect on the need for energy justice theory and policymakers to recognize the significance of this interdependency.

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Section: Energy Justice and Rec’smentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community Heroes and Sleeping Members: Interdependency of the Tenets of Energy Justice

et al. 2022

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“…A number of studies in the literature have emphasized the positive impacts of decentralization of the energy markets and the establishment of energy communities on the transition of the energy markets and provision of energy justice [26,31,[45][46][47]. Community-based collective energy initiatives have been regarded as fundamental actors in the transition of the energy market towards a low carbon economy [21,26,31,36,48].…”

Section: Multipurposementioning

confidence: 99%

Legal Provisions and Market Conditions for Energy Communities in Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Turkey: A Comparative Assessment

et al. 2021

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The Climate Pact and the European Green Deal constitute the main components of the European Union (EU)’s climate change policy. Energy transition, that is, transformation to a zero-carbon global energy system, is one of the main pillars of climate change mitigation policies. This transformation, coupled with the empowerment of individuals within the energy system, shifts citizens from their roles as customers towards a more active role. Within this framework, energy communities stand out as significant facilitators for the participation of individuals and communities in the energy system, promoting self-consumption and contributing to the social acceptance of renewable energy initiatives, among other direct and indirect benefits. The main directives introducing energy communities into the EU legal system are RED II and ED 2019. This study, conducted as a part of a Horizon 2020-funded eCREW project, assessed the adaptability and implementability of these two directives within national legislation, along with the associated legal and administrative frameworks, utilizing evidence from Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. The comparative analysis also enhances the understanding of the concept of renewable energy communities and citizen energy communities, both in the EU and in nonmember countries. The results of the analysis revealed that none of the countries studied had yet completed the process of harmonizing their legislation concerning energy communities.

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“…This top-down approach focusses on adapting to the existing energy systems rather than exploring how communities can take control of their local energy system and reap the maximum benefits of doing so. Indeed, a recent systematic review of research on energy justice in community energy initiatives across Europe [9] and another examining societal engagement with socio-technical change in energy system transitions in the UK [10] revealed a deficit in exploring social inequality, as well as insufficient policy, which negatively affect the uptake of community energy initiatives.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socio-Economic Benefits in Community Energy Structures

Kiamba

Rodrigues

Marsh³

et al. 2022

Sustainability

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In this paper, the authors examine how a community energy group in the Meadows area of Nottingham in the UK adopted a model of local energy generation and storage as a means of combatting climate change, improving energy efficiency, enhancing energy security, and reducing fuel poverty. By prioritising local needs and managing expectations, this approach was seen to unite community members in acting on energy challenges while increasing knowledge, understanding, and awareness of energy issues in general. The results of the survey indicated that the respondents had a significantly high level of climate awareness (94%) and support for community energy (90%). Furthermore, evidence of the impacts and efficiencies of community energy and subsequent socio-economic benefits were identified, including 89% of respondents reporting a reduction in energy costs and 67% of respondents increasing their self-consumption. Importantly, the barriers experienced when trying to maximise the identified socio-economic benefits are highlighted and general recommendations given.

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Energy justice within, between and beyond European community energy initiatives: A review

Cited by 77 publications

References 79 publications

Community Heroes and Sleeping Members: Interdependency of the Tenets of Energy Justice

Community Heroes and Sleeping Members: Interdependency of the Tenets of Energy Justice

Legal Provisions and Market Conditions for Energy Communities in Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Turkey: A Comparative Assessment

Socio-Economic Benefits in Community Energy Structures

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