Hacia una transición energética justa e inclusiva: la contribución de la Economía Social a la conformación de las Comunidades Energéticas Europeas

Abstract

Once again, the great shutdown carried out to mitigate the impact of covid-19 has demonstrated the profound relationship between our socioeconomic system and the energy model. The impact this pandemic situation has created in the field of energy has reinforced the necessity of a transition towards a fairer and more inclusive model. In this context (March 2019, pre-covid), the European Commission is fostering an energy transition in which citizens should play a key role in order to achieve an affordable, safe, and sustainable energy system through the development of local energy communities. These community initiatives have government modes based on the promotion of the common good and, at the same time, they belong formally to the Social Economy. They have the potential to shape a more resilient energy model through the relocation of energy generation, the reduction of its consumption or the location of the citizen in the center through the socialization of the means of production. Using a thorough bibliographic review and the analysis of secondary data, the objective of this research is to present a conceptual framework to merge Social Economy and the Commons paradigm and apply this framework to the local energy communities promoted by the European Commission. Through the dialogue between the normative and applied principles of the Commons paradigm and those of the Social Economy, this research will develop a map of different spheres: public, private, social, and common. This map will justify the adoption of Social Economy as the proper form of organizing initiatives such as the European Energy Communities.