%D 2023
%A Nicholas Evans
%L theses_frw4291
%X In the context of climate change and energy transition, this thesis attempts to understand how energy communities may be demonstrating energy demogracy. In this way the thesis aims not only to evaluate what aspects of energy democracy can be found in energy communities, but aims also to contribute to a continued exploration for the definition of energy democracy. Semi structured interviews were used to study energy communities in Ireland and the Netherlands. The study found that energy communities can be good examples of how certain aspects of energy democracy are coming to fruition, while other aspects are not. It also found that context dependency is an imporant consideration for the continued search for a definition of energy democracy. The thesis thus presents the term Community Based Energy Democracy as a means of adding a degree of grounding to the term. The time management of the researcher is a severe limitation to the final version of the thesis.
%T Realising Energy Democracy: Observations from Dutch and Irish Energy Communities