Constructing practices of engagement with users and communities: Comparing emergent state-led smart local energy systems

Energy transitions require engagement with users, local communities and wider publics in order to be fair, acceptable and, ultimately, successful. Here we focus on the development of decentralised energy systems instigated by central government. Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES), involving low carbo...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Energy policy Vol. 171; p. 113279
Main Authors:	Soutar, Iain, Devine-Wright, Patrick, Rohse, Melanie, Walker, Chad, Gooding, Luke, Devine-Wright, Hannah, Kay, Imogen
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Elsevier Ltd 01-12-2022
Subjects:	Decentralisation Energy transitions Engagement Participation Policy Public Policy Engagement Participation Decentralisation Public Energy transitions
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	Energy transitions require engagement with users, local communities and wider publics in order to be fair, acceptable and, ultimately, successful. Here we focus on the development of decentralised energy systems instigated by central government. Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES), involving low carbon generation, demand sources and smart technologies in a geographically-bounded location, are important but unexplored contexts for public engagement. Drawing on 23 interviews with partner organisations in 12 UK SLES projects, we investigate the targets, methods and rationales of engagement. Partners engage a range of user and community groups around multiple energy system components using a variety of methods, directly and via intermediary organisations. Project size is not a major influence on breadth and intensity of engagement. Project partners rationalise practices with reference to characterisations of users and engagement, and practices are conditioned by a range of factors (e.g. technological boundaries, place, partners involved, and the wider organisational context within which SLES projects take place). We highlight a need for future SLES policy to emphasise engagement as a key facet, institute systematic social learning between SLES projects, and consider how to engage publics beyond the boundaries of individual projects. •We explore how Smart Local Energy System (SLES) project partners engage publics.•Projects engage multiple actors using multiple methods, directly and indirectly.•Partners rationalise engagement practices with constructions of users roles.•Technologies, place, partners, and wider organisational contexts affect engagement.•Future SLES policy could do more to emphasise and shape engagement in SLES projects.
ISSN:	0301-4215 1873-6777
DOI:	10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113279