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Public Values and Community Energy: Lessons from the US and UK

Author

Listed:
  • Steven M. Hoffman

    (Department of Political Science, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105, USA)

  • Shane Fudge

    (College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Department of Geography, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Truro, TR11 4DW, UK)

  • Lissa Pawlisch

    (Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs), University of Minnesota's Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships & Extension, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA)

  • Angela High-Pippert

    (Department of Political Science, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105, USA)

  • Michael Peters

    (School of Construction Management and Engineering, Whiteknights, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6UR, UK)

  • Joel Haskard

    (Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs), University of Minnesota's Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships & Extension, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA)

Abstract

This paper examines some of the normative aspects of “community energy” programmes—defined here as decentralized forms of energy production and distributed energy technologies where production decisions are made as close as possible to sources of consumption. Such projects might also display a degree of separation from the formal political process. The development of a community energy system often generates a great deal of debate about both the degree of public support for such programmes and the values around which programmes ought to be organized. Community energy programmes also raise important issues regarding the energy choice problem, including questions of process , that is, by whom a project is developed and the influence of both community and exogenous actors, as well as certain outcome issues regarding the spatial and social distribution of energy. The case studies, drawn from community energy programmes in both the United States and the United Kingdom, allow for a careful examination of all of these factors, considering in particular the complex interplay and juxtaposition between the ideas of “public value” and “public values”.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven M. Hoffman & Shane Fudge & Lissa Pawlisch & Angela High-Pippert & Michael Peters & Joel Haskard, 2013. "Public Values and Community Energy: Lessons from the US and UK," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-17, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:5:y:2013:i:4:p:1747-1763:d:25209
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Walker, Gordon & Devine-Wright, Patrick, 2008. "Community renewable energy: What should it mean," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 497-500, February.
    2. Geels, Frank W., 2002. "Technological transitions as evolutionary reconfiguration processes: a multi-level perspective and a case-study," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(8-9), pages 1257-1274, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Haji Bashi, Mazaher & De Tommasi, Luciano & Le Cam, Andreea & Relaño, Lorena Sánchez & Lyons, Padraig & Mundó, Joana & Pandelieva-Dimova, Ivanka & Schapp, Henrik & Loth-Babut, Karolina & Egger, Christ, 2023. "A review and mapping exercise of energy community regulatory challenges in European member states based on a survey of collective energy actors," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    2. Peters, Michael & Fudge, Shane & High-Pippert, Angela & Carragher, Vincent & Hoffman, Steven M., 2018. "Community solar initiatives in the United States of America: Comparisons with – and lessons for – the UK and other European countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 355-364.
    3. Jens Koehrsen, 2017. "Boundary Bridging Arrangements: A Boundary Work Approach to Local Energy Transitions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-23, March.
    4. Sena, Kenton & Ochuodho, Thomas O. & Agyeman, Domena A. & Contreras, Marco & Niman, Chad & Eaton, Dan & Yang, Jian, 2022. "Wood bioenergy for rural energy resilience: Suitable site selection and potential economic impacts in Appalachian Kentucky," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    5. Berka, Anna L. & Creamer, Emily, 2018. "Taking stock of the local impacts of community owned renewable energy: A review and research agenda," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 3400-3419.
    6. Robin Eagle & Aled Jones & Alison Greig, 2017. "Localism and the environment: A critical review of UK Government localism strategy 2010–2015," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 32(1), pages 55-72, February.
    7. Hicks, Jarra & Ison, Nicola, 2018. "An exploration of the boundaries of ‘community’ in community renewable energy projects: Navigating between motivations and context," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 523-534.
    8. Soutar, Iain & Devine-Wright, Patrick & Rohse, Melanie & Walker, Chad & Gooding, Luke & Devine-Wright, Hannah & Kay, Imogen, 2022. "Constructing practices of engagement with users and communities: Comparing emergent state-led smart local energy systems," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    9. Mirosław Struś & Daria Kostecka-Jurczyk & Katarzyna Marak, 2023. "The Role of Local Government in the Bottom-Up Energy Transformation of Poland on the Example of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-13, June.
    10. Busch, Henner & Ruggiero, Salvatore & Isakovic, Aljosa & Hansen, Teis, 2021. "Policy challenges to community energy in the EU: A systematic review of the scientific literature," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    11. Ruef, Franziska & Ejderyan, Olivier, 2021. "Rowing, steering or anchoring? Public values for geothermal energy governance," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    12. Willington Ortiz & Ulli Vilsmaier, 2022. "Transcending the Locality of Grassroots Initiatives: Diffusion of Sustainability Knowledge and Practice through Transdisciplinary Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-17, September.

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