Repoliticising users in energy transitions: A critique of dominant ideas and their effect in policy and practice

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dc.contributor.authorAhlborg, Helene
dc.contributor.authorOsunmuyiwa, Olufolahan
dc.contributor.authorClancy, Joy S.
dc.contributor.authorDunphy, Niall P.
dc.contributor.authorFeenstra, Marielle
dc.contributor.authorHategekimana, Sylvère
dc.contributor.authorHausner, Beatrix
dc.contributor.authorHooper, Kate
dc.contributor.authorHultman, Martin
dc.contributor.authorLennon, Breffní
dc.contributor.authorMichael, Kavya
dc.contributor.authorRevez, Alexandra
dc.contributor.authorUnsworth, Sam
dc.contributor.authorÅberg, Anna
dc.contributor.funderSwedish Energy Agency
dc.contributor.funderAustrian Federal Ministry of Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure
dc.contributor.funderNetherlands Enterprise Agency
dc.contributor.funderSustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
dc.contributor.funderSwedish Research Council
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-14T15:50:02Z
dc.date.available2026-07-14T15:50:02Z
dc.date.issued2026-07-03
dc.description.abstractEnergy studies as a field is, due to its strong grounding in engineering and economics, overall dominated by reductive ideas around the role of people in energy systems. In particular, the diversity and agency of local level energy users is commonly overlooked and poorly understood, with consequences for energy transition policy and practice. This conceptual review brings together critiques of simplistic and idealised portrayals of energy users, who they are and what roles they are thought to play in energy system transformation. It forefronts studies that pay explicit attention to power relationships and injustice through a critical theory lens, in particular feminists, intersectional, decolonial and indigenous power theories. The review deconstructs the concept of energy user and contrasts such dominant ideas with alternative perspectives. It employs framing as analytical tool for sensemaking and reflection around the power relationships that have shaped how global energy systems function and the role of the users in reshaping, resisting and reframing these systems. The conceptual analysis illustrates the myriad ways in which energy users can be framed and shows why these representations matter for knowledge-making, practice and policy aiming at low-carbon transitions. We identify current knowledge gaps and future research frontiers in proposing framings and user-oriented interventions which embrace rather than smooth over the heterogeneity, messiness and politics of user roles in energy systems and transitions.en
dc.description.sponsorshipSwedish Energy Agency|2020-22623
dc.description.sponsorshipNetherlands Enterprise Agency|TSE1240040 Swedish Research Council|2020–01199
dc.description.versionPublished Version
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.articleid104814
dc.identifier.authororcidAhlborg, Helene
dc.identifier.authororcidOsunmuyiwa, Olufolahan
dc.identifier.authororcidClancy, Joy S.
dc.identifier.authororcidDunphy, Niall P.§0000-0001-8094-4121
dc.identifier.authororcidFeenstra, Marielle
dc.identifier.authororcidHategekimana, Sylvère
dc.identifier.authororcidHausner, Beatrix
dc.identifier.authororcidHooper, Kate
dc.identifier.authororcidHultman, Martin
dc.identifier.authororcidLennon, Breffní§0000-0002-9957-5765
dc.identifier.authororcidMichael, Kavya
dc.identifier.authororcidRevez, Alexandra§0000-0003-4289-448X
dc.identifier.authororcidUnsworth, Sam
dc.identifier.authororcidÅberg, Anna
dc.identifier.citationAhlborg, H, Osunmuyiwa, O, Clancy, J S, Dunphy, N P, Feenstra, M, Hategekimana, S, Hausner, B, Hooper, K, Hultman, M, Lennon, B, Michael, K, Revez, A, Unsworth, S & Åberg, A 2026, 'Repoliticising users in energy transitions: A critique of dominant ideas and their effect in policy and practice', Energy Research & Social Science, vol. 138, 104814, pp. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2026.104814
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.erss.2026.104814
dc.identifier.endpage15
dc.identifier.journaltitleEnergy Research & Social Science
dc.identifier.otherORCID: /0000-0002-9957-5765/work/219606873
dc.identifier.otherORCID: /0000-0003-4289-448X/work/220716747
dc.identifier.startpage1
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/19069
dc.identifier.volume138
dc.language.isoen
dc.relation.urihttps://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105043562622
dc.rights© 2026, The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ).
dc.rights.accessrightsopen access
dc.rights.licensenameAttribution 4.0 International
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.statusPeer reviewed
dc.subjectCritical theory
dc.subjectEnergy users
dc.subjectEquity
dc.subjectFraming
dc.subjectPower
dc.subjectTransition politics
dc.subject[ERI]
dc.subject[EngineeringArchitecture]
dc.subject[SustainabilityInstitute]
dc.titleRepoliticising users in energy transitions: A critique of dominant ideas and their effect in policy and practiceen
dc.typeArticle (peer-reviewed)
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