There is a crucial role for citizens to shape the future of the GB energy system.
Our current system is highly dependent on fossil fuels, leading to climate change and other negative social and environmental impacts. However, new technologies for energy systems have been developed since the 1970s in response to climate change, and out of a desire to become more self-reliant. They promise decentralised and renewable electricity generation and energy storage. The old system was designed for centralised generation and distribution to passive consumers, with extremely complex regulations which lack transparency. But now there’s an opportunity to move towards greater participation: toward energy democracy.
Questions for Energy Democracy
- How does the energy system currently work?
- What energy system changes will get us to zero carbon?
- How can people have more of a say to shape our future energy system?
- How can we eliminate fuel poverty in Britain?
- Can participation in the energy system show us what wider economic democracy could look like?
Read this book to explore these and other questions.
It will take you from the deeper layers of the fundamental laws of physics, which we cannot change, and the foundational social value of energy to to the higher layers of the technologies and human-created rules we could redesign if we tell different stories about how things should work.
The layers all interact with each other, particularly the higher more abstract layers of money, governance and world views all interact with the physical infrastructure.
You can get to each of the chapers by following the links below:
- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: Social Value of Energy
- Chapter 3: Physics of Energy
- Chapter 4: Physical Infrastructure
- Chapter 5: Organisations and Ownership
- Chapter 6: Money Flows
- Chapter 7: Governance and Decision-making
- Chapter 8: Worldviews and Framing
Design & Cover Illustration by Jenny Rén and Book Illustrations by Liz Snook.