Community energy justice: A review of origins, convergence, and a research agenda

Abstract

The transition to zero‑carbon sustainable energy systems is critical and must take an equity-oriented approach to avoid exacerbating societal injustices. We explore the concept of “community” and its potential as a viable and effective tool for studying, understanding, and fostering justice and equity in energy transitions. This paper outlines community energy justice as an area of scholarship emerging through convergence around three key concepts: community, energy transition, and justice. Using a narrative literature review approach, we unpack the origins of community energy justice research, rooted in two scholarship pillars of energy justice and community energy. We outline four driving forces and two key approaches leading to convergence between both areas of scholarship. Encompassing energy transition initiatives that incorporate both justice and community themes, we find that the overarching objective of community energy justice is to advance distributive, recognition and procedural justice in energy systems while upholding the agency, capability, and political power of community groups. These communities may transcend place-based conceptualizations to capture more expansive notions of community such as identity, process, and more. By grounding energy justice research in community-centred approaches, lenses, and case studies, community energy justice research is exploring whether and how leveraging the interrelationships among community members might result in more effective and equitable energy outcomes. We provide insights helpful for policymakers and civic actors developing community energy justice initiatives. We also highlight further research opportunities including the examination of broader social justice linkages, identifying barriers, exploring mechanisms, expanded geographies, strategic evaluations, and understanding actor motivations.