Abstract
In the last decade, the number of local energy initiatives (LEIs) has increased in western European countries. Although several success factors and barriers in the development of LEIs have been studied by other scholars, there has been limited scholarly interest in the overall impact of LEIs so far. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore their impact by determining their achievement. Additionally, levels of engagement were used to categorise the success factors for and barriers that impede this impact. Initiatives in two provinces in the north of the Netherlands were studied. For the data collection, 84 in-depth interviews were conducted with the initiators of LEIs. In general, it can be concluded that the impact of LEIs is limited. Success factors and barriers in the development of LEIs play out at different levels of engagement: the level of the initiative itself; the community level; and the public–private level. Theoretically, this study provides empirical insights on how to measure the impact of LEIs. Furthermore, the study brings together a variety of factors that influence this impact based on the levels of engagement. Practically, this research offers indications on how to contribute to the further development of LEIs.
Highlights
To combat disruptive climate change, a fundamental shift to a low-carbon energy system is needed, which is referred to as energy transition [1]
The energy transition is defined by Markard et al (2012) as the “ . . . long-term, multi-dimensional, and fundamental transformation processes through which established socio-technical systems shift to more sustainable modes of production and consumption” [2] (p. 956)
The main research question of this study is: What are the potential impacts of local energy initiatives (LEIs), which factors contribute to the success of LEIs, and which barriers impede the development of LEIs? This research includes both successful initiatives and less successful initiatives and explores a variety of factors based on an in-depth analysis of 84 initiatives in two regions of the Netherlands, providing a more complete view on this phenomenon
Summary
To combat disruptive climate change, a fundamental shift to a low-carbon energy system is needed, which is referred to as energy transition [1]. Climate agreements are made on international and national levels, the implementation of such agreements in the context of the energy system is most often carried out at a local or regional level. This means that citizens are affected, for example, by the implementation of renewable energy sources in the local environment. In the last two decades, an increasing number of local energy initiatives have emerged in western European countries [3,4], for example, in the UK [5,6,7,8], Germany [9,10,11], and in the Netherlands [4,12,13,14].
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