DIALOGUES

DIALOGUES supports the Energy Union with operational research on energy citizenship that enables citizens to take a central role in the energy transition. To reach this objective the project operationalises, contextualizes, measures, and supports the framework environments, policies and institutions that allow deep, inclusive energy citizenship to emerge. The key focus of DIALOGUES is on co-creating energy citizenship innovations that include the perspectives of groups currently on the margins of the energy transition such as, women, low-income households, energy poor, and ethnic minorities. DIALOGUES central methodological pillar is grounded in tested inter- and transdisciplinary techniques, with a spotlight on open innovation and co-design of the research process through novel Citizen Action Labs in 8 countries. For the policy and research communities, DIALOGUES moves the idea of energy citizenship forward to an operational concept that offers actionable policy insights, applied research tools and a unifying theory for citizen-oriented energy research. The project develops tools to measure the degree, and map the modes, of expressing energy citizenship, related KPIs, a policy decision tool, and a Knowledge Platform linking all project data and results.

DIALOGUES sees energy citizenship research as an opportunity to link the Energy Union’s strategic objectives and the various contributions of citizens under one conceptual framework focussing on broad trends in citizen engagement with energy topics, awareness of GHG impacts of their choices, equity, and justice. This would have the effect of embedding insights and best practices from the social sciences and humanities (SSH) fundamental research into all topics of the four strategic objectives (and beyond), and make the SSH concepts accessible to policymakers and regulators from across different energy domains. This is what we refer to as “DIALOGUES operationalising the concept of energy citizenship”, to produce a coherent concept that is useful to energy policy/market actors and stakeholders, which encompasses the often-discussed topics of citizen engagement, social acceptance, collective action/efficacy, social innovation, technology adoption, flexibility, and digitalisation, among others. Throughout the development of this operational framework, a focus on groups underrepresented and marginalized in the current energy transition will be maintained. Specifically, focusing on how age, gender, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, geographic isolation (i.e. islands), etc. can influence the personal growth of energy citizenship.

PIK is part of the DIALOGUES consortium, engaging in co-creation, co-design and open innovation activities centred around multilateral exchange of ideas between the researchers, stakeholders, policymakers and citizens. PIK will lead the Citizen Action Lab 7 in Berlin (community sphere) together with Gender CC. It is one of the 9 Citizen Action Labs that put energy citizens at the core of the innovation process, .Through these comprehensive interactions, DIALOGUES will produce an operational concept of inclusive energy citizenship that accounts for diversity and empowers groups currently at the margins of the energy transition to take a more active role in supporting the objectives of the Energy Union. PIK will lead the writing of an academic paper: geo-political scale in the emergence of energy citizenship through the lens of collective and political dynamics, power and efficacy.