Needs and expectations for the European energy system –A citizens perspective

Marianne RyghaugProfessor/Deputy Director

Outline: The citizens' perspective

Answer following questions:

1. Which are the needs of the community towards a low carbon energy system for Europe?

2. Which are the main expectations of the area with respect to the development of a low carbon energy system?

3. Which are the specific research challenges the community is facing to contribute to a competitive, sustainable and secure energy system?

I will look at:• the role of citizens and

contribution of social sciences and humanities in the development of a low carbon energy system for Europe

• the main factors triggering the behavior of citizens towards new low carbon energy technologies

• the main elements for an active participation of citizens in the energy system and related policy making

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The role of citizens in the development of a low carbon energy system for Europe

• The process of transition towards a low carbon energy system is going to be comprehensive and demanding

• It cannot be carried through without substantial public support

• The role of citizens and how we understand citizens are importantTraditional understanding Alternative understanding

Customers ConsumersPassive actors & recipientsNIMBYKnowledge deficit

Energy Citizenship

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Energy citizenship

• Builds on a view of people as active participants to be democratically engaged in sustainable energy transition.– “Energy citizenship is a view of the public that emphasizes

awareness of responsibility for climate change, equity and justice in relation to siting controversies as well as fuel poverty and, finally, the potential for (collective) energy actions, including acts of consumption and the setting up of community renewable energy projects such as energy co-operatives” (Devine-Wright 2007:72).

• Energy citizenship is enacted within specific energy systems, or what we can call socio-technical energy cultures

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Energy citizenship for low carbon energy transition• The gradual shift from centralized and fossil based

production to more distributed systems based on renewables will potentially integrate electricity production into everyday life – This may create new types of interaction between traditional

energy suppliers and customers whose roles might become much more diversified

– Decentralization will lend itself to microgrids, microgeneration, storage, new modes of renewable energy production, etc.

– Smart grids may also require a much higher level of interaction and technology literacy of customers

– While the role of citizens in the energy system in the past has been understood as passive, we now see a potential for a conceptual shift

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Expectations that people should:

• engage practically with e.g. energy efficiency measures (in-house energy displays, refurbishments)

• be supportive of local production of energy and/or produce their own energy (solar panels)

• begin buying and selling electricity• offer their “flexibility” (change consumption patterns, use

EVs for storage)• switch to sustainable modes of supply

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Energy citizenship across Europe

• Important to recognize the diverse character that transitions must have across Europe if they are to succeed

• The situation with respect to energy across Europe is varied (fuels, technologies used, costs, market organization, social practices associated with consumption and production, energy poverty, security of supply)

• This means that the public in different regions currently are engaged and participate in the energy system in very different ways

• There is a multitude of energy cultures, which in turns means considerable diversity with respect to input to energy dialogues

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Energy cultures

• the “contextual soup” • a concept that integrates economic concerns with social

factors (values, household activities, acquired technologies and habits)

• study interactions between cognitive norms, material culture and energy

• rather than a standard commodity, energy is a “derived demand”

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Gender issues. Inclusion into energy dialogues• Men are expected to play a more active role in energy

dialogues than women, and consequently, that their experiences and concerns will be more strongly articulated

• We know that men dominate the energy sector (as employees in governing bodies and industry)

• On the other hand, women in many households have the main responsibility for energy management of the home, which may provide a stronger base for engagement in energy dialogues

• The issue of inclusion into energy dialogues should be given particular attention.

• Important for social science and humanities to develop knowledge on how to include more groups in energy dialogues

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Conclusion: Engaging citizens towards new low carbon energy technologies

• Avoid simplistic and reductionist understanding of users• Focus on organizing society into new modes of operation

and cater for processes that to a greater extent opens up and invite active participation of citizens

• Scrutinize which policies are efficient for implementing low carbon energy technologies and to what extent the introduction of such technologies have transformative properties: do they create energy citizenship?

• Alternative ways to engage citizens:– Materialized publics (e.g. electric car society in Norway,

smartgrids)– More community based (e.g. solar systems in Austria; Wind in

Denmark, PV in Germany)

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Conclusion: Challenges for Research

• The challenge is to go beyond “acceptance” and “ABC model” (awareness, behavior, choice)

• Need comparative research about current energy dialogues and use it to develop strategies to facilitate new or improved modes of energy dialogue

• Need to have more focus on the content of sustainable transitions and how to make them more effective

• Need to take social science and humanities perspective more seriously

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Thank you for your attention!

Marianne.Ryghaug@ntnu.no

@Mryghaug

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«Knowledge and engagement for sustainable energy transition»