The democratic challenges of the territorial energy transition: an investigation into Jena’s citizen energy cooperative
For several years, citizen energy cooperatives have become major actors in the German energy transition. Tacking stock on the literature on energy democracy, this article examines the democratic foundations and impacts of participative energy projects. For that purpose, we rely on a qualitative case study analysis of the city of Jena, where a citizen energy cooperative was created in 2011 and bought 2 % of the shares of the municipal energy utility the following year. Through semi-directive interviews, a document analysis and observations, this article analyses the work of building political legitimacy in order to create and maintain this project. It also investigates the concrete impact of this project on local energy policy. Overall, the energy cooperative has contributed to reinforcing participation of the local population in the debates on energy. However, the case of Jena also shows that tensions may arise between the overall goal of the cooperative’s founders (support an inclusive and participative energy transition) and the financial interests of its members. These tensions contribute to threaten the political legitimacy of the cooperative as a driver of a democratic energy transition.