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From tip to toes: Mapping community energy models in Canada and New Zealand

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  • Hoicka, Christina E.
  • MacArthur, Julie L.

Abstract

Community energy is associated with a wide range of benefits, for example, providing new social mechanisms for learning, facilitating economic development, and in engaging local populations in energy policy implementation. However, empirical research continues to uncover many differences in the specific forms, functions and policy settings that relate to community initiatives across jurisdictions. This paper examines community energy projects in Canada and New Zealand, two understudied countries with high per-capita greenhouse gas emissions, distinct practices of community energy, and Indigenous community participation. This comparison reveals a range of striking differences in what communities do and how community energy projects are structured. We use institutional theories to highlight the role of incumbent resources, actors, and political context to explain the variations of forms and functions of community energy. We provide a reconceptualization of community energy practice as a much broader in both energy activity and ownership structure than presented in much of the current literature. The distinct national practices of community energy found are explained predominantly by the policy settings: less privatization and more new renewable energy support in some Canadian provinces, with more uniform liberalization and legal support for trusts in New Zealand.

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  • Hoicka, Christina E. & MacArthur, Julie L., 2018. "From tip to toes: Mapping community energy models in Canada and New Zealand," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 162-174.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:121:y:2018:i:c:p:162-174
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2018.06.002
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    3. Zapata, Oscar, 2022. "Renewable Energy and Community Development," OSF Preprints tk59y, Center for Open Science.
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    8. Bekirsky, N. & Hoicka, C.E. & Brisbois, M.C. & Ramirez Camargo, L., 2022. "Many actors amongst multiple renewables: A systematic review of actor involvement in complementarity of renewable energy sources," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    9. Gjorgievski, Vladimir Z. & Cundeva, Snezana & Georghiou, George E., 2021. "Social arrangements, technical designs and impacts of energy communities: A review," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 1138-1156.
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    13. August Wierling & Valeria Jana Schwanitz & Jan Pedro Zeiß & Celine Bout & Chiara Candelise & Winston Gilcrease & Jay Sterling Gregg, 2018. "Statistical Evidence on the Role of Energy Cooperatives for the Energy Transition in European Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-25, September.
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