Renewable Sources as Commons: Frictions and 'Energy Citizenship'

Abstract (English)

This paper explores the concept of energy as a common good, examining the dynamics of governance within energy communities and assessing their social and cultural impact. The analysis investigates the multiple tensions between development and environmental protection, and possible strategies for achieving truly fair and sustainable management of energy resources. The transition from high-carbon energy sources to low-emission renewable sources has led to profound social, economic, and cultural transformations in these territories. The implementation of wind and solar power systems has raised various questions regarding community resource management and landscape impact. Local communities often find themselves torn between seeing this transition as an opportunity for participation and energy emancipation and perceiving it as a risk of new, more sophisticated, and “sustainable” forms of marginalization and extractivism. This paper aims to offer a critical reflection on the energy community as an (genuinely) alternative model for ecological transition, assessing its ability to combine innovation, local autonomy, and landscape protection. More broadly, this discussion contributes to the debate on energy democracy, highlighting the potential of participatory practices in shaping new balances for the sustainable management of territories.
The case studies presented focus on a remote rural area in Central-southern Italy and aim to explore the tensions between environmental protection, the implementation of renewable energy sources, and their sociocultural impacts. They highlight issues related to governance and question the decision-making processes within energy communities, critically examining the horizontal and democratic nature of energy-related choices. Furthermore, they reposition the issue of power distribution and normative frameworks at the core of the renewable energy debate.