Energy Citizenship in Ireland: Beyond Individual Private Agency
摘要
This chapter uses several case studies to illustrate how energy citizenship has developed in Ireland since the Irish government first explicitly used the term “energy citizenship” in its 2015 “White Paper on Ireland’s Transition to a Low Carbon Energy Future 2015–2030”. In particular, the chapter demonstrates that citizen participation has extended beyond direct individual engagement in the energy system. Energy communities, as a collective form of energy citizenship, have become an important element of the Irish energy transition landscape and governance. Furthermore, mechanisms have emerged through which citizens have increasingly been able to participate directly in the shaping of energy policy. Interestingly, these forms of energy citizenship do not appear to be independent but rather interrelated and mutually influential. Overall, the findings on diversity of energy citizenship in Ireland in this chapter highlight the importance of understanding energy citizenship beyond individual private agency.