{{Short description|Concept in environmental justice movement}}
'''Energy democracy''' is a concept developed within the [[environmental justice movement]] that pairs the [[renewable energy transition]] with efforts to democratize the production and management of energy resources— including the [[social ownership]] of energy infrastructure, decentralization of energy systems, and expansion of [[Public participation (decision making)|public participation]] in energy-related policymaking. Energy democracy calls for greater participation in energy transitions and is being used in literature to describe an overall ongoing democratic transition.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=Szulecki |first1=Kacper |last2=Overland |first2=Indra |date=2020-11-01 |title=Energy democracy as a process, an outcome and a goal: A conceptual review |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629620303431 |journal=Energy Research & Social Science |language=en |volume=69 |article-number=101768 |doi=10.1016/j.erss.2020.101768 |bibcode=2020ERSS...6901768S |issn=2214-6296|hdl=10852/79348 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Energy democracy and [[climate justice]] are increasingly associated.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last=Szulecki |first=Kacper |date=2018-01-02 |title=Conceptualizing energy democracy |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09644016.2017.1387294 |journal=Environmental Politics |language=en |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=21–41 |doi=10.1080/09644016.2017.1387294 |bibcode=2018EnvPo..27...21S |hdl=10852/62331 |s2cid=148774086 |issn=0964-4016|hdl-access=free }}</ref> Energy democracy is also referenced alongside the concept of [[energy justice]], albeit with its own distinct implications.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Osička |first=Jan |last2=Szulecki |first2=Kacper |last3=Jenkins |first3=Kirsten E. H. |date=2023-10-01 |title=Energy justice and energy democracy: Separated twins, rival concepts or just buzzwords? |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629623003262 |journal=Energy Research & Social Science |volume=104 |article-number=103266 |doi=10.1016/j.erss.2023.103266 |issn=2214-6296|hdl=11250/3124472 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wyse |first=Susan Morrissey |last2=Das |first2=Runa R. |date=2024-12-01 |title=Energy democracy: Reclaiming a unique agenda in energy transitions research |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629624003657 |journal=Energy Research & Social Science |volume=118 |article-number=103774 |doi=10.1016/j.erss.2024.103774 |issn=2214-6296|doi-access=free }}</ref> Rather than view [[low-carbon economy|decarbonization]] as a purely technological challenge, energy democracy identifies the renewable energy transition as an opportunity to redistribute political and economic power toward egalitarian ends.<ref name=":12">{{Cite journal|last=Stephens|first=Jennie C.|date=2019-03-04|title=Energy Democracy: Redistributing Power to the People Through Renewable Transformation|journal=Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development|volume=61|issue=2|pages=4–13|doi=10.1080/00139157.2019.1564212|s2cid=159067616|issn=0013-9157|doi-access=free|bibcode=2019ESPSD..61b...4S }}</ref>

Energy democracy has been endorsed by community organizations, think tanks, labor unions, and NGOs as a framework for decarbonization.<ref name=":32">{{Cite journal|last=Burke|first=Matthew J.|date=2018|title=Shared Yet Contested: Energy Democracy Counter-Narratives|journal=Frontiers in Communication|volume=3|page=22|doi=10.3389/fcomm.2018.00022|issn=2297-900X|doi-access=free}}</ref> Energy Democracy began in western Europe between 2000 and 2010 and has become a worldwide practice and point of reference except Asia.<ref>map of global energy democracy projects, https://energy-democracy.net/energy-democracy.net/map/index.html</ref> The concept is also associated with a number of campaigns in Europe and North America calling for the [[municipalization]] of energy companies and democratization of their governance structures.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Fei|first1=Charleen|last2=Rinehart|first2=Ian|title=Taking Back the Grid: Municipalization Efforts in Hamburg, Germany and Boulder, Colorado|url=https://us.boell.org/sites/default/files/fei_rinehart_taking_back_the_grid.pdf|website=Heinrich Boell Foundation}}</ref><ref name="Jennie C 2018">{{Cite journal|last1=Stephens|first1=Jennie C.|last2=Burke|first2=Matthew J.|last3=Gibian|first3=Brock|last4=Jordi|first4=Elie|last5=Watts|first5=Richard|date=2018|title=Operationalizing Energy Democracy: Challenges and Opportunities in Vermont's Renewable Energy Transformation|journal=Frontiers in Communication|volume=3|page=43|doi=10.3389/fcomm.2018.00043|issn=2297-900X|doi-access=free}}</ref>

In the United States, the term "energy democracy" has become more widespread as calls for it greatly increased in the 2010s.<ref name=":5" /> In 2017 a NSF-funded Energy Democracy Symposium at the [[University of Utah]] assembled scholars and practitioners to formalize an interdisciplinary research agenda for the field, helping to consolidate energy democracy as a distinct area of scholarly research.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Feldpausch-Parker |first=Andrea M. |last2=Endres |first2=Danielle |last3=Peterson |first3=Tarla Rai |date=2019-10-11 |title=Editorial: A Research Agenda for Energy Democracy |url=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/communication/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2019.00053/full |journal=Frontiers in Communication |language=English |volume=4 |doi=10.3389/fcomm.2019.00053  |doi-access=free|issn=2297-900X}}</ref> The number of publications on energy democracy peaked in the U.S. in 2018, which can be correlated to growing social demand.<ref name=":5" /> This social demand was driven by the expanding [[environmental justice]] movement, and [[grassroots]] organizing by frontline communities.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Burke |first=Matthew J. |last2=Stephens |first2=Jennie C. |date=2017-11-01 |title=Energy democracy: Goals and policy instruments for sociotechnical transitions |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629617303031 |journal=Energy Research & Social Science |series=Policy mixes for energy transitions |volume=33 |pages=35–48 |doi=10.1016/j.erss.2017.09.024 |issn=2214-6296|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=CJA and the Green New Deal |url=https://climatejusticealliance.org/gnd/ |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=Climate Justice Alliance |language=en-US}}</ref> Despite growing awareness of the term, the United States has been seen as lagging behind many European countries in establishing more democratic energy structures due to its often top-down strategies.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ambole |first=Amollo |last2=Koranteng |first2=Kweku |last3=Njoroge |first3=Peris |last4=Luhangala |first4=Douglas Logedi |date=2021-02-17 |title=A Review of Energy Communities in Sub-Saharan Africa as a Transition Pathway to Energy Democracy |url=https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/4/2128 |journal=Sustainability |language=en |volume=13 |issue=4 |page=2128 |doi=10.3390/su13042128  |doi-access=free|issn=2071-1050}}</ref> As of 2017 investor owned utilities served approximately 72 percent of U.S. electricity holders, leaving limited space for community and municipal ownership that is central to energy democracy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Investor-owned utilities served 72% of U.S. electricity customers in 2017 - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) |url=https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=40913 |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=www.eia.gov}}</ref>

== Principles ==
The exact definition of energy democracy is contested and the term is used to refer to a diverse set of proposals, practices, and ideas.<ref name=":32"/> However, advocates most often define energy democracy as embodying progressive principles they believe should guide contemporary [[energy policy]] and governance— namely [[social ownership]], [[public participation]], [[decentralization]], and source information.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-01-05|title=PRINCIPLES OF ENERGY DEMOCRACY|url=https://energy-democracy.net/principals/|access-date=2021-10-20|website=ENERGY DEMOCRACY|language=en}}</ref>

=== Social ownership ===
Advocates of energy democracy support a transition toward social ownership of energy companies and infrastructure, arguing that existing privately owned utilities are poorly suited to undertake rapid decarbonization and address concerns of [[environmental justice]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|last=Bozuwa|first=Johanna|title=Public Ownership for Energy Democracy|url=https://thenextsystem.org/learn/stories/public-ownership-energy-democracy#opportunities-for-publicly-run-energy-utilities-to-revolutionize-generation-and-the-grid|access-date=2021-10-20|website=TheNextSystem.org|date=3 September 2018 |publisher=[[Democracy Collaborative]]|language=en}}</ref> The call for social ownership encompasses both expansions of [[State ownership|public ownership]] (i.e. [[municipalization]] and [[nationalization]]) and the promotion of forms of [[collective ownership]] (e.g. [[List of energy cooperatives|energy cooperatives]], [[energy community]]).<ref name=":02"/>

=== Public participation ===
Energy democracy calls for expanding public participation in the renewable energy transition and the broader functionings of the [[energy sector]]. In doing so, advocates argue that energy policy and decision-making will better incorporate local knowledge and the [[environmental justice]] concerns of local communities.<ref name=":12"/><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last1=Sorman|first1=Alevgül H.|last2=Turhan|first2=Ethemcan|last3=Rosas-Casals|first3=Marti|date=2020|title=Democratizing Energy, Energizing Democracy: Central Dimensions Surfacing in the Debate|journal=Frontiers in Energy Research|volume=8|page=279|doi=10.3389/fenrg.2020.499888|issn=2296-598X|doi-access=free|bibcode=2020FrER....899888S |hdl=2117/330684|hdl-access=free}}</ref> Various mechanisms for public participation have been suggested, including the creation of democratically elected energy oversight boards and the incorporation of public deliberation into the policymaking process.<ref name=":2" /> Globally, end user communities of community renewable energy projects are expressing a desire for increased participation and ownership, while engineers and project managers outside of a community tend to want to preserve the status quo.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wahlund |first1=Madeleine |last2=Palm |first2=Jenny |date=May 2022 |title=The role of energy democracy and energy citizenship for participatory energy transitions: A comprehensive review |journal=Energy Research & Social Science |language=en |volume=87 |article-number=102482 |doi=10.1016/j.erss.2021.102482|doi-access=free |bibcode=2022ERSS...8702482W }}</ref> The need for a democratic transition in energy ownership arises from this discrepancy, as end users—"energy citizens"—of energy transitions are often underrepresented.

=== Decentralization ===
Solar panels, wind turbines, and other [[Renewable energy|renewable energy technologies]] allow for energy generation to be physically decentralized; advocates of energy democracy believe this energy decentralization could be a tool for empowering local communities and deconcentrating wealth and power.<ref name=":02"/> By building and managing energy infrastructure at the community-scale (e.g. [[Community wind energy|community wind]] and [[Community solar farm|solar farms]]), communities avoid having to outsource energy generation to privately owned utilities with regional monopolies.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bozuwa|first=Johanna|title=Taking Back Power: Public Power as a Vehicle Towards Energy Democracy|url=https://thenextsystem.org/learn/stories/taking-back-power-public-power-vehicle-towards-energy-democracy|website=TheNextSystem.org|date=17 October 2017 |publisher=[[Democracy Collaborative]]}}</ref> Additionally, advocates argue that decentralization can change community-wide relationships with energy consumption by turning community members into [[prosumers]] with a direct stake in questions of production.<ref name="Jennie C 2018"/>

== Campaigns and initiatives ==
In the early 2000s, the city of Hamburg Germany privatized its electricity, gas, and [[district heating]] distribution grid to multinational energy companies [[Vattenfall]] and [[E.ON]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Cramer |first=Damian |date=2016-10-19 |title=Energy Remunicipalisation: How Hamburg is buying back energy grids |url=https://www.worldfuturecouncil.org/energy-remunicipalisation-hamburg-buys-back-energy-grids/ |access-date=2026-03-18 |website=World Future Council |language=en-US}}</ref> In response, a broad coalition of environmental, civil society and religious organizations formed the initiative ''Unser Hamburg - Unser Netz'' (Our Hamburg - Our Grid).<ref name=":0" /> The coalition campaigned for a [[referendum]] to return the grid to public ownership, and in 2013 50.9 percent of Hamburg voters were in favor of [[Municipalization|remunicipalization]] of all three grids.<ref name=":0" />

In 2012, a global coalition of trade unionists founded [https://unionsforenergydemocracy.org/ Trade Unions for Energy Democracy] to organize workers in support of climate action and a [[just transition]] to renewable energy. As of 2021, the network claims a membership of 89 [[trade union]] bodies in 26 countries.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Participating Unions and Allies|url=https://unionsforenergydemocracy.org/about/participating-unions-and-allies/|website=Trade Unions for Energy Democracy|access-date=2021-11-19|archive-date=2022-10-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006014559/https://unionsforenergydemocracy.org/about/participating-unions-and-allies/}}</ref>

The Energy Democracy Project was formed in 2020, bringing together over 30 diverse frontline organizations within the United States to build both community-level ownership of clean energy resources whilst promoting racial and economic equity of the energy transition.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://energydemocracy.us/about/#affiliated |website=Energy Democracy Project}}</ref>

In 2021, the [https://energydemocracyny.org/projects-campaigns/public-power/ New York Energy Democracy Alliance] joined other state advocacy organizations in forming the Public Power NY Coalition. The coalition is currently advocating for the passage of the New York Utility Democracy Act (S.B. S7243), which would municipalize the New York's private utility companies and create democratically elected utility boards to oversee their operations.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-05-19|title=NYS Right To Efficiency {{!}} NYEDA Projects, Campaigns {{!}} New York Energy Democracy Alliance|url=https://energydemocracyny.org/projects-campaigns/public-power/|access-date=2021-10-21|website=energydemocracyny.org|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-01-13|title=NY State Senate Bill S7243|url=https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s7243|access-date=2021-10-21|website=NY State Senate|language=en}}</ref>

== Critiques ==
Central critiques to the concept of energy justice center around equitable citizen participation and involvement when other more broad structural barriers to participation are left unaddressed.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wahlund |first=Madeleine |last2=Palm |first2=Jenny |date=2022-05-01 |title=The role of energy democracy and energy citizenship for participatory energy transitions: A comprehensive review |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629621005697 |journal=Energy Research & Social Science |volume=87 |article-number=102482 |doi=10.1016/j.erss.2021.102482 |issn=2214-6296}}</ref> While many conceptualizations of energy democracy incorporate themes of social inclusion, this inclusion is often left undefined and becomes problematized in conceptualizations of energy democracy.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tarasova |first=Ekaterina |date=2025-07-01 |title=Rethinking energy democracy with greater focus on social inclusion |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629625001690 |journal=Energy Research & Social Science |volume=125 |article-number=104088 |doi=10.1016/j.erss.2025.104088 |issn=2214-6296}}</ref> Additionally, energy democracy literature has been criticized for its failure to address consideration of [[energy poverty]] and distributional injustices.<ref name=":1" />

Energy democracy theorists are also often skeptical about the true democratic potential of traditional forms of governance, with many believing that new forms of ownership beyond enhanced voice are needed for the achievement of both energy democracy and [[energy justice]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Welton |first=Shelley |last2=Luke |first2=Nikki |last3=Toussaint |first3=Etienne |last4=Hamilton |first4=Caroline |last5=Louder |first5=Elena |date=2026-05-01 |title=The energy transition's double democratic gap: Household needs and regulatory realities in energy policy in the United States' South |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629626001167 |journal=Energy Research & Social Science |volume=135 |article-number=104645 |doi=10.1016/j.erss.2026.104645 |issn=2214-6296|doi-access=free }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Energy|Environment|Politics}}
*[[Community solar farm]]
*[[Community wind energy]]
*[[Economic democracy]]
*[[remote area power supply|RAPS]]
*[[Soft energy path]]
*[[Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* a solar farm entity in Aus/ NZ;  who create and facilitate co-op owned community renewable energy farms.    https://energydemocracy.net/

[[Category:Energy democracy| ]]
[[Category:Distributed generation]]
[[Category:Environmental justice]]
[[Category:Renewable energy policy]]
[[Category:Types of democracy]]