Policy Effects of Energy Cooperatives for a Just Transition

Abstract

The Netherlands, similar to the rest of the world, is faced with the pressing challenge of transitioning from conventional fossil fuels to renewable energy sources for a more sustainable future. An important aspect of this challenge is to address issues of fairness and justice to enable the equal distribution of the costs and benefits of the energy transition. Energy cooperatives (ECs) have emerged as important players to help drive such a ‘just’ energy transition, especially with regards to the extent that such initiatives can help to influence policy outputs. That being said, the relationship between ECs and policy outputs for a more ‘just’ energy transition has been understudied. Therefore, this research aims to identify the specific causal mechanisms at play that can explain the influence of ECs and their inclusion of understandings of justice in regional policy outputs for the energy transition.

To do this, an abductive research approach was employed. First, existing causal mechanisms to explain the influence of ECs on policy were deductively identified. Second, the research inductively examined data from an empirical case study of the province of Groningen to reveal any novel mechanisms. Thirdly, the research abductively synthesized an updated list of mechanisms found to explain EC influence on policies. Data for this approach was primarily gathered by means of 23 semi-structured interviews with various energy cooperatives, local and regional government officials, and other relevant civil society actors. Ultimately, the identified list of causal mechanisms was evaluated to determine a strength of confidence for the presence of each of the causal mechanisms.

Overall, the findings revealed that several causal mechanisms are at play. Brokerage, coordination, learning and collaborative representation were identified as causal mechanisms present in the case of Groningen. In addition, the research also revealed that ECs play a role in advancing three key understandings of justice: distributive, procedural and recognitional justice. There is thus no silver bullet causal mechanism or understanding of justice to explain this complex relationship. Ultimately, this research has demonstrated that it is through a combination of a multiplicity of causal mechanisms and the multiplicity of understandings of justice that ECs can truly exert influence on policies to advance a more ‘just’ energy transition.