A rural territory in the energy transition: between participatory approach and special interests
Rural and peri-urban areas can be considered as reservoirs of resources for renewable energy production: land available in remote areas, roofs of farm buildings that can be converted and biomass that can be mobilized. They can thus largely contribute to the energy transition. The case study developed in this article examines how this transition is designed and implemented in a territory considered exemplary in terms of “local energy projects”. The monographic survey carried out in the rural area of Mauges (“Pays de la Loire”, France), officially designated as “positive energy territory for green growth”, explains the strong mobilization of civil society and local actors in renewable energy production projects: group purchase of photovoltaic solar panels, “wood-logging-energy” sector, biogas production project and crowdfunding of a wind farm. United by the same entrepreneurial definition of the energy transition, farmers and individuals are trying to take advantage of their own local resources to the detriment of outside investors. The article analyzes the financial and technical design of various projects as well as the motivations and profiles of the leaders. Behind the exemplary model displayed by this territory and the consensus that seems to unite the local population within this “dynamic of renewable energy projects”, this article reveals that the economic benefits come first and foremost to a small group of investors , mainly farmers able to combine local professional and political responsibilities.