Contemporary environmental entrepreneurs: from the alternative technology movement to ecologically modernised community energy

ABSTRACT

Fifty years ago, the alternative technology movement was actively making its case for ‘softer’ technologies. Today this alternative energy momentum has been most directly embraced by the contemporary community renewable energy movement. Yet there are important differences. Many of today’s entrepreneurial community actors utilise a wide range of market tools to devise innovative energy businesses for their communities. While these changes are not unexpected given the significant passage of time, what interests us here are the broader paradigmatic drivers of these changes. A comparative consideration of these two movements helps us to do this. The different historical contexts are important explanatory factors. But other interrelated drivers also play an important part. This paper focuses on two: generational changes in the field of technology and generational changes in the field of ideas. The first considers the socio-political possibilities enabled by extensive technological innovation; the second the influence of ecological modernisation ideas at both the institutional and civil society level. Overall, we find generational continuity in the values and goals that drive alternative energy actors, but significant differences in the ideas and practices to achieve them.

KEYWORDS:

• Community renewable energy
• alternative technology movement
• ecological modernisation
• associative entrepreneurialism
• renewable energy

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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Giorel Curran

Giorel Curran is an adjunct researcher in the School of Government and International Relations at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. Her research areas include climate policy and politics, energy policy and politics, environmental politics and new political movements.