Citizen or consumer? Reconsidering energy citizenship

ABSTRACT

The transition to more sustainable energy systems has set about redefining the social roles and responsibilities of citizens. Implicit in this are expectations around participation, though the precise contours of what this might mean remain open. Debates around the energy transition have been skewed towards a normative construct of what it means to be a ‘good citizen’, the parameters for which are shaped by predetermined visions of statist and/or market-driven determinations of the energy systems of the future. This article argues that concepts such as ‘energy citizen’ are co-opted to reflect popular neoliberal discourses, and ignore crucial questions of unequal agency and access to resources. Paradoxically, official discourses that push responsibility for the energy transition onto the ‘citizen-as-consumer’ effectively remove agency from citizens, leaving them largely disconnected and disempowered. Consequently, energy citizenship needs to be reconceptualised to incorporate more collective and inclusive contexts for action. Considering how much energy consumption occurs in (traditionally female) domestic spheres, do conventional notions of citizenship (especially with regards to its associated rights and duties) need to be recalibrated in order for the concept to be usefully applied to the energy transition?

KEYWORDS:

• Energy citizen
• consumer
• energy transition
• citizenship
• discourse
• agency

Acknowledgements

This paper reflects the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the project partners or of the European Commission.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dr Breffní Lennon is a senior postdoctoral researcher on the EnergyPOLITIES project at University College Cork. His research focuses on the enmeshment of society, space and technology, in particular the social and economic dimensions to the energy transition, with his current work examining social mobilisation and collective actions surrounding the energy system.

Dr Niall Dunphy is the Director of the Cleaner Production Promotion Unit at University College Cork. He leads an interdisciplinary team, operating at the intersection of the social sciences and engineering, conducting engaged research on the theme of society, sustainability and energy.

Dr Christine Gaffney is a postdoctoral researcher on the EnergyPOLITIES project at University College Cork. Her research interests include gender, sexualities, as well as personal and social transitions. Her recent work has included the gender aspects of responsible research, and the intersectional consideration of energy-related social practices.

Dr Alexandra Revez is a senior postdoctoral researcher on the Imagining 2050 project at University College Cork. Her research focuses on the dynamics of public participation in key environmental and social issues, with her current work exploring and co-developing visions of, and pathways to, a low carbon and climate resilient future.

Dr Gerard Mullally is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, University College Cork. where he specialises in the sociology of the environment. His research interests include public participation in sustainability transitions, climate change communication, and Education for Sustainability.

Dr Paul O’Connor is assistant professor of sociology at the United Arab Emirates University, where he specialises in cultural sociology. His research interests include collective identity formation, the intersection of globalisation and localisation, and sustainability of urban spaces.

ORCID

Breffní Lennon http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9957-5765

Niall Dunphy http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8094-4121

Christine Gaffney http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8294-4942

Alexandra Revez http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4289-448X

Gerard Mullally http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2166-8491

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 Now the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

2 Including deep home retrofits, significant investment in subsidised public transport and the creation of distributed smart electricity micro-grids.

Additional information

Funding

The work in this paper has been support by the European Commission through the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Framework Programme. The research presented has been conducted as part of the ENTRUST project (Grant Agreement no 657998; http://www.entrust-h2020.eu).