Minh Thu Nguyen, a PhD candidate in the Doctoral Program in Psychology, will defend the thesis titled "Representing Energy Citizenship for Positive Energy Districts: A sociopsychological analysis". The public defense is scheduled for September 18, 2024, 10:00 at room B327 (Building 4) of Iscte-University Institute of Lisbon. And online: https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/j/6577405335
Changes on room and Zoom link may be updated here.
Abstract
Towards low carbon energy transitions, the EU is promoting Positive Energy Districts (PEDs), which produce more renewable energy than they consume. On paper, they encourage more participatory governance which decentralises and democratises energy decisions, as captured in the emergent concept of energy citizenship. Most approaches to energy citizenship heretofore have focused on prosumerism, which might limit citizens’ rights, responsibilities, and relations with energy and the environment. This thesis analyses which representations of energy citizenship are being fostered, negotiated, and resisted in PED policies at EU, national, and local levels, by stakeholders and citizens, via a case study of a PED in creation – Torres Vedras, Portugal. Accordingly, this thesis argues for crucial inputs from governmentality, participatory governance, and socio-psychological frameworks – namely, critical social psychology of citizenship. These frameworks were applied to qualitative studies examining the institutionalisation of energy citizenship (Study 1 – policy document analysis), stakeholder mediation (Study 2 – interviews with intermediaries), and citizen appropriation or resistance (Study 3 – citizen focus groups), along with socio-psycho-environmental impacts on justice, inclusion, and well-being. Findings demonstrate that hegemonic neoliberal governmentality is enacted and reified through policy, stakeholders, and citizens to create an energy citizen who is individually and ethically responsible for energy efficiency, excluding vulnerable citizens and collective energy practices from energy citizenship. However, some intermediaries and citizens contest this representation and negotiate and advance alternative, more transformative uptakes of energy citizenship, claiming energy as a right and as commons. Thus, this thesis contributes theoretical and empirical knowledge to our emerging understanding of energy citizenship.
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