Energy transition complexities in rural and remote Indigenous communities: a case study of Poplar Hill First Nation in northern Ontario

Social value of renewable energy in remote northern Indigenous communities

“…When envisioned, owned, and/or controlled by the community, RE projects can support self-determination as communities become more self-sufficient in meeting their energy needs, without reliance on external actors (Karanasios & Parker, 2018;Rezaei & Dowlatabadi, 2016). Many remote communities across northern Canada and Alaska rely on expensive, imported diesel fuel for power generation, straining the community's financial resources whilst failing to meet even basic energy needs (Bullock et al, 2020;Rakshit et al, 2019;Rezaei & Dowlatabadi, 2016;Sikka et al, 2013;. Various studies identify RE as an endogenous energy option that reduces reliance on external energy supplies and actors, thus reducing community energy costs, enhancing local energy reliability, and increasing access to essential energy services such as heating (Brewer et al, 2018;Bullock et al, 2020;Karanasios & Parker, 2018;Krupa et al, 2015;MacKay et al, 2021;Mercer et al, 2020;Rakshit et al, 2018Rakshit et al, , 2019Rezaei & Dowlatabadi, 2016;Schmidt et al, 2021;Sikka et al, 2013).…”

“…Many remote communities across northern Canada and Alaska rely on expensive, imported diesel fuel for power generation, straining the community's financial resources whilst failing to meet even basic energy needs (Bullock et al, 2020;Rakshit et al, 2019;Rezaei & Dowlatabadi, 2016;Sikka et al, 2013;. Various studies identify RE as an endogenous energy option that reduces reliance on external energy supplies and actors, thus reducing community energy costs, enhancing local energy reliability, and increasing access to essential energy services such as heating (Brewer et al, 2018;Bullock et al, 2020;Karanasios & Parker, 2018;Krupa et al, 2015;MacKay et al, 2021;Mercer et al, 2020;Rakshit et al, 2018Rakshit et al, , 2019Rezaei & Dowlatabadi, 2016;Schmidt et al, 2021;Sikka et al, 2013). In this context, we identify four primary value-generating outcomes for communities from RE, based on the sample of scholarship reviewed.…”

“…In Canada, the federal government has prioritized renewable energy (RE) as part of a national strategy to achieve a net-zero electricity grid by 2035 (Government of Canada, 2023a). For many of the off-grid, diesel-dependent communities across Canada's provincial and territorial North, RE is also promoted as a way to reduce the reliance on diesel fuel whilst supporting energy sovereignty, self-sufficiency, and economic reconciliation with Indigenous peoples through equity ownership of RE projects (Government of Canada, 2023b;Hoicka et al, 2021;Rakshit et al, 2019)).…”

Harvesting Local Energy: A Case Study of Community-Led Bioenergy Development in Galena, Alaska

“…Fuel price volatility and reliance on long-distance fuel shipments and storage, due to geographic remoteness and seasonal road access, add to the uncertainties of fuel availability. As such, there is growing interest in renewable energy systems amongst northern and Indigenous communities [9,10], especially those projects with direct local involvement and benefits. Such community-led initiatives have long been explored under the nebulous concept of "community energy" [11,12].…”

“…Across this broader literature, community participation in energy development-in the form of development and ownership-has been argued to be a means for energy self-sufficiency [14] and sovereignty [15]. These elements are even more salient for remote Indigenous communities, as energy development in such communities occurs with the backdrop of historical inequities and colonial legacies [10,16,17], which continue to influence the socio-political environment around energy and resource development. For example, bioenergy requires access to land; thus Indigenous ownership [16] of forested land in Alaska (Very few Alaskan tribes own land; rather, the Alaska Native-lands Claim Settlement Act (ANCSA) designated ownership of select lands to native corporations.…”