Energy justice of sociotechnical imaginaries of light and life in the bush

Abstract

This paper tells the story of off-grid remote renewable energy rollouts in Indigenous communities in Northern Australia. While the analysis is specific to Australia, it has broader lessons about incorporating Indigenous governance approaches into renewable energy rollouts so that Indigenous communities in financially constrained contexts share in the intended benefit of installed electricity systems. Using energy sociotechnical imaginaries and energy justice, the paper explores the emergence, impact and contemporary legacy of Bushlight (2002–2013), a government funded renewable energy program delivered by an Indigenous-led non-profit organisation. Bushlight was part of Australia's early efforts to build its renewable energy sector, operating with a dual mandate of decarbonisation and community development in Indigenous Homelands communities. Research draws on empirical data from qualitative research methods (interviews and participant observation) as well as archival records and other documentation. The analysis of sociotechnical imaginaries explains how collectives come together to anticipate and address distributional justice issues through policy development and how these collectives and their vision for renewable energy evolve through implementation. Tracing how these imaginaries extend into the present highlights the influence of broader socio-political dynamics shaping Indigenous-settler-colonial relations. The paper's findings have important implications for decolonisation, supporting Indigenous people to live on and care for Country while retaining their right to essential services.