Redefining a stakeholder relation: Finnish energy “prosumers” as co-producers

Abstract

Energy innovations have enabled micro-scale energy production that is challenging energy companies’ business models and operating environment. This article examines micro-producers of energy as energy “prosumers”—hybrid producers and consumers—and as a challenge to the current logic of energy companies’ stakeholder relations. The data consists of interviews and participant observations of Finnish private solar panel owners and energy company representatives. The relationship between energy prosumers and the energy company is found to be a co-producing stakeholder relation that is issue-centric, not organization-centric. Energy prosumers have heightened expectations of how they should be acknowledged by the energy company, particularly concerning reciprocity. The article clarifies the role of the energy prosumer as a new type of stakeholder and connects prosumer relations to the notion of co-production. Thus, the article offers valuable information for energy companies when they update their business models to embrace prosumer relations and community involvement.