Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EnergyPROSPECTS (PROactive Strategies and Policies for Energy Citizenship Transformation)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2021-05-01 do 2022-10-31
EnergyPROSPECTS (PROactive Strategies and Policies for Energy Citizenship Transformation) will work with a critical understanding of energy citizenship that is grounded in state-of-the-art Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) insights. Funded under the EU Horizon 2020 programme for three years, EnergyPROSPECTS aims to
develop a broad understanding of energy citizenship, as a policy concept, a sociotechnical imaginary, a knowing-of-governance, i.e. a social construction of
desirable/normal civic agency in future energy systems. The project will identify and examine a range of cross-cutting issues in energy citizenship, which will inform
iterative typology development and criteria for case selection. Drawing on existing databases and a search for new cases, a selection of 500 initiatives, a mapping and
typology refinement exercise to demonstrate the depth/breadth of the energy citizenship concept in theory and practice will be performed. Forty cases will be
selected for in-depth analysis exploring development, evaluation, intermediaries, institutions, governance and ICT in energy systems.A critical part of the research involves analysing the external and internal contextual conditions as they support or hinder energy citizenship in its various forms. Based on the analysis the project will match suitable models and forms of organisation with different countries, regions and contexts, and will conduct a citizen survey to appraise the validity of various scenarios and discuss and refine results in citizen workshops and policy forums. This will produce practical policy outputs which will be revised with policy actors in knowledge exchange workshops.
EnergyPROSPECTS’s primary objectives are to:
1. Develop an innovative conceptual framework for the understanding of energy citizenship;
2. Identify diversity of types and empirical manifestations of energy citizenship;
3. Identify constraining and enabling conditions to active energy citizenship;
4. Identify and assess the more and less favourable outcomes and impacts of different forms of energy citizenship;
5. Enhance engagement with citizens, practitioners and policy-makers and analyse and design more effective ways of engaging citizens and other stakeholders;
6. Translate findings and insights into tools and interventions for citizens and practitioners, new business and service models.
develop a broad understanding of energy citizenship, as a policy concept, a sociotechnical imaginary, a knowing-of-governance, i.e. a social construction of
desirable/normal civic agency in future energy systems. The project will identify and examine a range of cross-cutting issues in energy citizenship, which will inform
iterative typology development and criteria for case selection. Drawing on existing databases and a search for new cases, a selection of 500 initiatives, a mapping and
typology refinement exercise to demonstrate the depth/breadth of the energy citizenship concept in theory and practice will be performed. Forty cases will be
selected for in-depth analysis exploring development, evaluation, intermediaries, institutions, governance and ICT in energy systems.A critical part of the research involves analysing the external and internal contextual conditions as they support or hinder energy citizenship in its various forms. Based on the analysis the project will match suitable models and forms of organisation with different countries, regions and contexts, and will conduct a citizen survey to appraise the validity of various scenarios and discuss and refine results in citizen workshops and policy forums. This will produce practical policy outputs which will be revised with policy actors in knowledge exchange workshops.
EnergyPROSPECTS’s primary objectives are to:
1. Develop an innovative conceptual framework for the understanding of energy citizenship;
2. Identify diversity of types and empirical manifestations of energy citizenship;
3. Identify constraining and enabling conditions to active energy citizenship;
4. Identify and assess the more and less favourable outcomes and impacts of different forms of energy citizenship;
5. Enhance engagement with citizens, practitioners and policy-makers and analyse and design more effective ways of engaging citizens and other stakeholders;
6. Translate findings and insights into tools and interventions for citizens and practitioners, new business and service models.
The EnergyPROSPECTS project has made substantial advancements towards achieving its overall aims and objectives. All 17 Deliverables and 7 milestones that were due in the first 18 months of the project were completed successfully and submitted to the EC.
WP1 delivered the parameters and guidelines for EnergyPROSPECTS regarding good practice, ethics and data collection.
WP2 developed an innovative conceptual framework critically unpacking energy citizenship (ENCI). Also , a typology was developed (D2.2).
WP3 resulted in the collection of 596 energy citizenship initiatives across the EU (D3.1). From these 596 cases, 40 have been selected for in-depth analysis. A methodology and training guidelines were developed (D3.4 & D3.3).
WP4 - An analysis of the energy citizenship element in intermediary activities, within a wider analysis of systems aspects of socio-technical change will be analysed through the selected 40 in-depth cases in WP3. The data is currently being collected across partners for this workpackage.
WP5 - T5.1 and T5.2 PESTEL - this WP examines the supranational, national and local contexts that facilitate or hinder the emergence and development of active energy citizenship. T5.1 and T5.2 are underway.
WP6 Task 6.1 - Three synthesis briefs have been completed in the period.
WP6 and WP7 seek to maximise the impact of practical recommendations by ensuring that EnergyPROSPECTS outputs are disseminated to a range of user groups.
Overall, the project has been managed in the context of WP1 and underpinned by strong ethical principles (WP8).
WP1 delivered the parameters and guidelines for EnergyPROSPECTS regarding good practice, ethics and data collection.
WP2 developed an innovative conceptual framework critically unpacking energy citizenship (ENCI). Also , a typology was developed (D2.2).
WP3 resulted in the collection of 596 energy citizenship initiatives across the EU (D3.1). From these 596 cases, 40 have been selected for in-depth analysis. A methodology and training guidelines were developed (D3.4 & D3.3).
WP4 - An analysis of the energy citizenship element in intermediary activities, within a wider analysis of systems aspects of socio-technical change will be analysed through the selected 40 in-depth cases in WP3. The data is currently being collected across partners for this workpackage.
WP5 - T5.1 and T5.2 PESTEL - this WP examines the supranational, national and local contexts that facilitate or hinder the emergence and development of active energy citizenship. T5.1 and T5.2 are underway.
WP6 Task 6.1 - Three synthesis briefs have been completed in the period.
WP6 and WP7 seek to maximise the impact of practical recommendations by ensuring that EnergyPROSPECTS outputs are disseminated to a range of user groups.
Overall, the project has been managed in the context of WP1 and underpinned by strong ethical principles (WP8).
EnergyPROSPECTS works with a critical understanding of energy citizenship that is grounded in state-of-the-art social sciences and humanities (SSH) insights. Our 3-year project aims to develop a broad understanding of energy citizenship. We identify and examine a range of cross-cutting issues in energy citizenship, which will inform iterative typology development and criteria for case selection. Drawing on existing databases and a search for new cases, we have selected 596 initiatives and undertaken mapping and typology refinement exercises to demonstrate the depth/breadth of the energy citizenship concept in theory and practice. 40 cases have been selected for in-depth analysis exploring development, evaluation, intermediaries, institutions, governance and ICT in energy systems. Using a multi-actor perspective, we will develop an empowerment toolkit for practitioners and citizens, co-create viable strategies, and develop new business and social innovation models, and new forms of organisation to advance energy citizenship. A critical part of the research involves analysing the external and internal contextual conditions as they support or hinder energy citizenship in its various forms. Based on the analysis, we will match suitable models and forms of organisation with different countries, regions and contexts. Inn mid 2023 we will conduct a citizen survey to appraise the validity of various scenarios and discuss and refine results in citizen workshops and policy forums. We will produce practical policy outputs which will be revised with policy actors in knowledge exchange workshops. Overall the project will advance state-of-the-art energy research and provide recommendations for harnessing energy citizenship to achieve energy and decarbonisation goals in Europe.
Compared to the technological-environmental aspects, the social dimensions of the clean-energy transition tend to be the less visible aspects of innovation. This applies especially in the case of energy citizenship, comprising a broader range of actors, behaviours and transactions beyond the relatively visible agency of social innovation initiatives, grassroots activists and other transition ‘leaders’. Moreover, it is often difficult to grasp how, if at all, energy citizenship contributes to decarbonization, as it corresponds to a range of new practices, institutions and transactions with ambiguous effects on energy production, transmission and consumption. Therefore, the SSH insights, concepts, tools and methods offered by the EnergyPROSPECTS consortium are particularly important. These insights will bring to light how the clean-energy transition rests on a much broader range of innovations and actors than is immediately evident and articulate how transformative impacts extend beyond the primary energy system objectives of secure, environmentally sustainable, competitive, and affordable energy for Europe's citizens. Furthermore, acknowledging that energy citizenship (and citizenship more generally) has evolved differently across EU regions, the project will ground the analysis of further prospects with careful attention to cross-cutting issues of social justice, inclusion and gender, and vulnerability.
Compared to the technological-environmental aspects, the social dimensions of the clean-energy transition tend to be the less visible aspects of innovation. This applies especially in the case of energy citizenship, comprising a broader range of actors, behaviours and transactions beyond the relatively visible agency of social innovation initiatives, grassroots activists and other transition ‘leaders’. Moreover, it is often difficult to grasp how, if at all, energy citizenship contributes to decarbonization, as it corresponds to a range of new practices, institutions and transactions with ambiguous effects on energy production, transmission and consumption. Therefore, the SSH insights, concepts, tools and methods offered by the EnergyPROSPECTS consortium are particularly important. These insights will bring to light how the clean-energy transition rests on a much broader range of innovations and actors than is immediately evident and articulate how transformative impacts extend beyond the primary energy system objectives of secure, environmentally sustainable, competitive, and affordable energy for Europe's citizens. Furthermore, acknowledging that energy citizenship (and citizenship more generally) has evolved differently across EU regions, the project will ground the analysis of further prospects with careful attention to cross-cutting issues of social justice, inclusion and gender, and vulnerability.