‘Energopolitics’ of the Renewable Era Analysing Cases of Local Energy Initiatives in the Gelderland Province of the Netherlands

Abstract

The number of energy cooperatives in the Netherlands, like many other European states, is consistently on the rise, especially since  the last decade. Local energy cooperatives have been observed as beacons of the promises of a renewable energy transition scenario,  as they take community based initiatives for launching and owning more localized renewable energy systems. Since the Climate  agreement in 2015 took place in the country, these cooperatives have now been legitimated as a stakeholder in the ongoing energy transition process. While this may secure these citizen initiated organizations a stable ground for operation, this entails new dynamics  for energy cooperatives in the transition scenario. The present study considers certain aspects of the current process of renewable  transition in the local level, through the conceptual lens of energopower and energopolitics.