Energy Research & Social Science

The energy sector is at the center of the current economic system, and of literature and activism on degrowth, which questions the sustainability of current models of energy use. Local and small-scale energy systems may have the potential to reduce energy and resource consumption and to advance degrowth-related ideals of energy democracy, self-sufficiency, and local production. In the present paper we link a discussion on degrowth and local energy projects, using two case studies from southern European islands, El Hierro in Spain, and Tilos in Greece. These pioneer local energy initiatives have a complex ownership model that includes various public and private actors, and aspirations that go beyond merely electricity production to other economic and social goals. We look into the promise of these initiatives in transforming insular areas and promoting an alternative way of living, comparing attributes of the processes involved to four degrowth principles. We conclude that despite the degrowth potential of these local energy projects, their prospects are limited to revitalizing local economies and empowering local communities, but not necessarily reducing energy use or creating an alternative to the growth orientation of the islands.

Long dependent upon imported fossil fuels, the islands of the Caribbean have recently been targeted by initiatives meant to hasten a shift to more renewable forms of energy. In this paper, we provide an overview of this ongoing energy transition, focusing on the experiences of Jamaica and the Eastern Caribbean. To do so, we develop the concept of the ‘island energy metabolism’ as a way to conceptualize relationships between the biophysical properties of different energy sources and the distinctive territorial, infrastructural and geopolitical characteristics of islands. We trace the development of the prevailing fossil fuel-based metabolism in the Caribbean region, and highlight some of the resulting energy dilemmas faced by island territories in the region. We then turn our attention to the ongoing renewable energy transition, focusing on the opportunities and barriers posed by islands. We highlight the role of island imaginaries in attracting international interest, and point to the ways in which island geographies can hinder the transition. Drawing on examples gleaned from fieldwork in the Caribbean, we discuss the financial, logistical and infrastructural challenges posed by the region’s fragmented sovereignty and island territoriality, and suggest how a metabolism lens can shed light on the trajectories of low-carbon transitions.