Energy Democracy as a Prefigurative Social Movement: Reshaping Social Relations in Energy Systems

Abstract

This dissertation examines the “energy democracy” movement, which seeks to socialize energy by transferring ownership to workers and communities in a sector long dominated by corporate control. While the movement has achieved successes in local contexts, it faces challenges. Theoretically, it has been criticized for lacking clarity and for doubts about whether democracy alone ensures justice. Practically, it has encountered co-optation and difficulties scaling to achieve systemic transformation. These challenges lead to the central question of this study: “Which practices are energy democracy actors enacting, and how are they extending these practices to contribute to broader transformation?”

To address this question, the study investigates the experiences of on-the-ground energy democracy actors. Drawing on semi-structured interviews across five cases, it conducts a qualitative thematic analysis of the transcripts. The experiences of these actors are examined through the lens of prefigurative social movements, which experiment with democratic social relations in the present to model a desired future society. This framework emphasizes (1) the enactment of alternative practices—how actors structure themselves locally—and (2) the extension of those practices beyond the local to challenge systemic constraints. Since energy democracy is a prefigurative movement, this connection, underexplored in existing literature, offers a novel way to analyze the movement on its own terms.

Findings reveal both potential and limitations. Actors enact democratic practices such as decentralized leadership, egalitarian approaches responsive to local needs, and collective ownership accountable to communities rather than shareholders. They also attempt to extend these practices through political engagement, movement-building, and cultural change. Yet a crucial challenge remains: scaling with limited capacity against vast corporate resources. While energy democracy offers an alternative vision, localized organizations alone are unlikely to counter entrenched corporate power.

Often framed as isolated local initiatives, this study situates energy democracy within broader movements prefiguring a democratic economy, revealing it as a coherent political project. This alignment creates pathways for collaboration, solidarity, and shared strategies with these movements that can reduce burdens on individual actors. Importantly, the study highlights how academics can advance transformation by fostering networks, strengthening coalitions, and investigating questions that support structural change.