Thinking, doing, organising: Prefiguring just and sustainable energy systems via collective prosumer ecosystems in Europe

Julia M Wittmayer,Inês Campos,Flor Avelino,Donal Brown,Borna Doračić,Maria Fraaije,Swantje Gährs,Arthur Hinsch,Silvia Assalini,Timon Becker,Esther Marín-González,Lars Holstenkamp,Robert Bedoić,Neven Duić,Sem Oxenaar,Tomislav Pukšec

doi:10.1016/j.erss.2021.102425

Abstract

This article positions collective renewable energy prosumerism as a social movement that engages in energy system transformation. Collective renewable energy prosumer initiatives engage in ‘prefigurative’ work through their discursive framings (ways of thinking), their activities (ways of doing) and their understanding and enactment of social relations (ways of organising). The core of this article is a comparative analysis of the prefigurative work of 13 collective prosumers from 7 European countries (Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, United Kingdom). The article discusses their contributions to energy system transformation, including renewable energy production, different mechanisms for involving citizens, local value creation, and the degree of desired and actual collaboration and networking within broader prosumer ecosystems. We then discuss these contributions against societal discourses and expectations towards prosumerism, such as energy democracy, energy justice, and environmental sustainability and decarbonisation. This reveals three tensions: 1) a focus on decarbonisation but not on broader environmental problems, 2) the involvement of certain people and not of others, and 3) the building of prosumer eco-systems while ignoring incumbency. Future research avenues are formulated to conclude the article.

Highlights

Changes in energy systems are ongoing, fuelled by, amongst others, international agreements such as the Paris Agreement [1], new Euro pean Union [2] or national policy conditions [3], global actions such as Fridays for Future [4,5] or local collective action [6]
To explore how collective prosumer initiatives engage in energy system transformations, we want to analyse their prefigurative work, that is their framings of energy system transformations, and the activ ities and social relations they engage in
The goal of this article was to understand how collective prosumer initiatives engage in energy system transformation through their pre figurative work

Summary

Introduction

Changes in energy systems are ongoing, fuelled by, amongst others, international agreements such as the Paris Agreement [1], new Euro pean Union [2] or national policy conditions [3], global actions such as Fridays for Future [4,5] or local collective action [6]. Builds upon, diverse societal and cultural values, norms, symbols, and rituals and mobilises different publics [11,12,13]. This key role of framings and discourses as an important aspect of mobilising publics has long been discussed in social movement studies [14]

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Conclusion