Beyond stakeholder consultations: Red-green coalition democratizes Maine's offshore wind energy policymaking

Abstract

Stakeholder consultations organized by government agencies are the most ubiquitous form of public engagement in renewable energy transition in the U.S. and other industrialized countries. Despite the growing frequency and scope of these consultations, energy social sciences research shows that they are usually not effective at responding adequately to social and environmental concerns. This article presents research findings on how Maine's red-green coalition made of diverse social constituencies – labor unions, environmental groups, and climate advocates – presented a more democratic alternative. By utilizing the method of exploratory process tracing, we show how the coalition intervened to shape policymaking on offshore wind development. Our research shows that this success is due to the Maine coalition's ability to draw on cross-scale political resources, undertake multi-pronged campaigns to challenge the beneficiaries of the status quo, and to develop negotiated policy solutions acceptable to key constituencies. This research contributes new policy and scholarly insights about the conditions under which the efforts to promote a just and sustainable energy transition advance the goals of energy democracy.