IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/loceco/v27y2012i2p209-222.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

What factors enable community leadership of renewable energy projects? Lessons from a woodfuel heating initiative

Author

Listed:
  • Jennifer C Rogers
  • Eunice A Simmons
  • Ian Convery
  • Andrew Weatherall

Abstract

Increasing renewable energy generation is fundamental to sustainable development as current reliance on fossil fuel combustion is an environmentally damaging, inequitable use of finite resources with far-reaching negative social impacts. To date, UK energy policy has sought to increase renewable energy capacity by encouraging large-scale commercially led developments. Recently, however, there has been growing interest in the scope for alternative small scale and community-led renewable energy development. This case study research from northwest England investigates the development of a community-led woodfuel heating project in a remote rural setting. Qualitative data from project participants’ interviews show the project was conceived as means of addressing multiple threats to the sustainability of their rural community. Participants’ vision of the project was found to fit the eco-economy paradigm.

Suggested Citation

  • Jennifer C Rogers & Eunice A Simmons & Ian Convery & Andrew Weatherall, 2012. "What factors enable community leadership of renewable energy projects? Lessons from a woodfuel heating initiative," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 27(2), pages 209-222, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:loceco:v:27:y:2012:i:2:p:209-222
    DOI: 10.1177/0269094211429657
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0269094211429657
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0269094211429657?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Middlemiss, Lucie & Parrish, Bradley D., 2010. "Building capacity for low-carbon communities: The role of grassroots initiatives," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(12), pages 7559-7566, December.
    2. Ruth Panelli & Richard Welch, 2005. "Why Community? Reading Difference and Singularity with Community," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 37(9), pages 1589-1611, September.
    3. Hain, J. J. & Ault, G. W. & Galloway, S. J & Cruden, A. & McDonald, J. R., 2005. "Additional renewable energy growth through small-scale community orientated energy policies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(9), pages 1199-1212, June.
    4. Clift, Roland, 2007. "Climate change and energy policy: The importance of sustainability arguments," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 262-268.
    5. Philip Lowe & Neil Ward, 2007. "Sustainable rural economies: some lessons from the English experience," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 15(5), pages 307-317.
    6. Ricci, Miriam & Bellaby, Paul & Flynn, Rob, 2010. "Engaging the public on paths to sustainable energy: Who has to trust whom?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 2633-2640, June.
    7. Peters, Michael & Fudge, Shane & Sinclair, Philip, 2010. "Mobilising community action towards a low-carbon future: Opportunities and challenges for local government in the UK," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(12), pages 7596-7603, December.
    8. Gordon Walker & Sue Hunter & Patrick Devine-Wright & Bob Evans & Helen Fay, 2007. "Harnessing Community Energies: Explaining and Evaluating Community-Based Localism in Renewable Energy Policy in the UK," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 7(2), pages 64-82, May.
    9. Underwood, C.P. & Ramachandran, J. & Giddings, R.D. & Alwan, Z., 2007. "Renewable-energy clusters for remote communities," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 84(6), pages 579-598, June.
    10. Woodman, Bridget & Baker, Philip, 2008. "Regulatory frameworks for decentralised energy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(12), pages 4527-4531, December.
    11. Bob Giddings & Chris Underwood, 2007. "Renewable energy in remote communities," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(3), pages 397-419.
    12. Rogers, J.C. & Simmons, E.A. & Convery, I. & Weatherall, A., 2008. "Public perceptions of opportunities for community-based renewable energy projects," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(11), pages 4217-4226, November.
    13. Mulugetta, Yacob & Jackson, Tim & van der Horst, Dan, 2010. "Carbon reduction at community scale," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(12), pages 7541-7545, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Klein, Sharon J.W. & Coffey, Stephanie, 2016. "Building a sustainable energy future, one community at a time," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 867-880.
    2. Hicks, Jarra & Ison, Nicola, 2018. "An exploration of the boundaries of ‘community’ in community renewable energy projects: Navigating between motivations and context," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 523-534.
    3. Mari Martiskainen, 2016. "The role of community leadership in the development of grassroots innovations," SPRU Working Paper Series 2016-10, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    4. Berka, Anna L. & Creamer, Emily, 2018. "Taking stock of the local impacts of community owned renewable energy: A review and research agenda," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 3400-3419.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rogers, Jennifer C. & Simmons, Eunice A. & Convery, Ian & Weatherall, Andrew, 2012. "Social impacts of community renewable energy projects: findings from a woodfuel case study," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 239-247.
    2. Dalia Streimikiene & Tomas Baležentis & Artiom Volkov & Mangirdas Morkūnas & Agnė Žičkienė & Justas Streimikis, 2021. "Barriers and Drivers of Renewable Energy Penetration in Rural Areas," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-28, October.
    3. Rogers, J.C. & Simmons, E.A. & Convery, I. & Weatherall, A., 2008. "Public perceptions of opportunities for community-based renewable energy projects," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(11), pages 4217-4226, November.
    4. Brummer, Vasco, 2018. "Community energy – benefits and barriers: A comparative literature review of Community Energy in the UK, Germany and the USA, the benefits it provides for society and the barriers it faces," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 187-196.
    5. Seyfang, Gill & Park, Jung Jin & Smith, Adrian, 2013. "A thousand flowers blooming? An examination of community energy in the UK," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 977-989.
    6. Nick Eyre, 2013. "Decentralization of governance in the low-carbon transition," Chapters, in: Roger Fouquet (ed.), Handbook on Energy and Climate Change, chapter 27, pages 581-597, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. Gormally, A.M. & Whyatt, J.D. & Timmis, R.J. & Pooley, C.G., 2012. "A regional-scale assessment of local renewable energy resources in Cumbria, UK," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 283-293.
    8. Berka, Anna L. & Creamer, Emily, 2018. "Taking stock of the local impacts of community owned renewable energy: A review and research agenda," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 3400-3419.
    9. Hicks, Jarra & Ison, Nicola, 2018. "An exploration of the boundaries of ‘community’ in community renewable energy projects: Navigating between motivations and context," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 523-534.
    10. Bomberg, Elizabeth & McEwen, Nicola, 2012. "Mobilizing community energy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 435-444.
    11. Beau Warbroek & Thomas Hoppe, 2017. "Modes of Governing and Policy of Local and Regional Governments Supporting Local Low-Carbon Energy Initiatives; Exploring the Cases of the Dutch Regions of Overijssel and Fryslân," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-36, January.
    12. Yadoo, Annabel & Gormally, Alexandra & Cruickshank, Heather, 2011. "Low-carbon off-grid electrification for rural areas in the United Kingdom: Lessons from the developing world," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 6400-6407, October.
    13. Rae, Callum & Bradley, Fiona, 2012. "Energy autonomy in sustainable communities—A review of key issues," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(9), pages 6497-6506.
    14. Parag, Yael & Hamilton, Jo & White, Vicki & Hogan, Bernie, 2013. "Network approach for local and community governance of energy: The case of Oxfordshire," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 1064-1077.
    15. Klein, Sharon J.W. & Coffey, Stephanie, 2016. "Building a sustainable energy future, one community at a time," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 867-880.
    16. Rosato, Antonello & Panella, Massimo & Andreotti, Amedeo & Mohammed, Osama A. & Araneo, Rodolfo, 2021. "Two-stage dynamic management in energy communities using a decision system based on elastic net regularization," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 291(C).
    17. Zhao, Dong-Xue & He, Bao-Jie & Johnson, Christine & Mou, Ben, 2015. "Social problems of green buildings: From the humanistic needs to social acceptance," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 1594-1609.
    18. Haji Bashi, Mazaher & De Tommasi, Luciano & Le Cam, Andreea & Relaño, Lorena Sánchez & Lyons, Padraig & Mundó, Joana & Pandelieva-Dimova, Ivanka & Schapp, Henrik & Loth-Babut, Karolina & Egger, Christ, 2023. "A review and mapping exercise of energy community regulatory challenges in European member states based on a survey of collective energy actors," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    19. Hoicka, Christina E. & MacArthur, Julie L., 2018. "From tip to toes: Mapping community energy models in Canada and New Zealand," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 162-174.
    20. Radtke, Jörg & Ohlhorst, Dörte, 2021. "Community Energy in Germany – Bowling Alone in Elite Clubs?," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:loceco:v:27:y:2012:i:2:p:209-222. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/index.shtml .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.