CaIl for papers

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CaIl for papers

ENERGY's NEw

TERRI'IORIES

T _I.

he energy sector has undergone

profound

changes since the

beginning of

the 2l st century.

In

a post-petroleum era also marked

by

distrust

of

nuclear power, the

shift

towards a

new

energy

mix

based on the development

of

renewable energies has challenged numerous social, economic and

industry

certainties. The generation

of

energy,

which lies

at the heart

of

the

ecological transition, is gradually

leaving the large-scale

production

sites

-

nuclear power plants or

hydroelechic

dams

-

^and

radically modi$ring practices and representations in areas that were hardly concemed bcfore: forest ancl

wood

energy, collective biomass

facilities,

solar farms, the use

of

water or

wind via

the

installation of

ever-higher

wind

turbines. The development

of

renewables is projecting the energy question into daily

life

in many places and sparking discussions and conflicts, but also more consensual experiences.

This thematic

issue

is aimed at studying the territorial impact of ^the

^trans- formations underway,

in

terms of both production and consumption. _Questions of use conflicts stemming from the deployrnent of large-scale renewable energy installations have given rise

to

a substantial literature but

in

our view, other issues seem

worthy of attention

as

well. As

such,

they

constitute the core

of this call for

papers. The

first

concerns the study

ofthe

consequences

ofthe

changing

fonns oforganisation

Espace&Sté'l75.indd 237 0110412019 13:12

238

Espaces et sociétés 175

of

an

increasingly localised

system

of

energy

production. The

second, the radical transformations

of

practices. The

third,

the stakeholder configurations related to this decentralisation.

Changes in the energy production

system

The local deployment ofenergy production raises an

initial

question about energy solidarity, whether between citizens or between regions

historically

incorporated into networks that symbolised national unity. The

multiplication ofproduction

sites and the

first

attempts at self-use constitute a fundamental challenge to the integrated national energy systems. Conversely, the developrnent of an autonomous system aimed at loca- lised production and consumption could be an opportunity

for

emerging states,

which

would no longer have to

build

large energy distribution grids.

Energy production is also becoming a key economic question

for

some regions.

Frorn

nnal

areas to the large-scale solar power plants

in

the

world's

deserts, most

of

the projects _are

tied

to the spread

ofa

'green

economy'that potentially

encourages local development through innovations (technological,

institutional,

social, etc.),

job

creation or new revenues

in

the

form oftaxes

or ground rents. The search

for

a new energy

rnix

is thus

reshuffling

the organisation

ofhistorical

actors

andjob

cultures.

This situation calls for

analysing the effects

ofsuch technological

changes and the

arrival

of many uew actors making their ways into the

traditional

tête-à-tête between major energy producers and states. The changes initiated in a context of a liberalisation

ofproduction

have contributed to the emergence

ofnew

stakeholders

in

the energy

field.

Econornic actors

(financial

groups, pension funds), industrial actors competing directly

with

the traditional producers, technological actors such as young start-ups or recognised research centres, but also local actors including local and regional

author!

ties or even landowners

who

are now directly concemed by the energy issue.

what

is the organisation of today's energy production system(s)? In what geographical terms?

with

^what

kinds of

ties

to

the base

tenitory?

Does green energy stimulate develop- ment?

And if

so, to what extent?

Evolving practices

Given

the

radical

changes

now

underway, eîergy has become a central social issue. In the face

ofrising

energy prices and technical constraints

linked

to the deve- lopment

ofnew

technologies, behaviours and representations have started changing as

well.

'From

^a technological standpoint, smart

city

and smart

grid

models promise consu- mers an interconnected home permiting the development of collective behaviours that are

admittedly virtuous but

at the same time,

individually restrictive.

The literature on the sustainable

city

and eco-districts has begun

to

address

this

question,

which

obviously cannot be

lirnited

to a few

pilot

tenitories (see Espaces et sociétés

20ll/4,

no. 147: oWhat

makes

for

a sustainable

cify?').

'

The spread

of fuel poverty owing to higher

costs has also been studied.

How

is this phenomenon reflected at

local

level, whether

in

terms

of

strategies

for

adapting behaviours,

or

measurements

of

these

new healthhazard

and social risks?

Are

we

Espace&Sté 17s.indd 238 01104t2019 13,'t2

Vie de la revue

witnessing the implementation of new public policies aimed at diminishing its effects?

If

so, on what scale and

with

what impact on the territory?

.

_{Have elected} ofÊcials, socio-economic actors and citizen-consumers taken the

full

measure of the radical changes taking place? Are the stakeholders capable of rurders- tanding and interpreting the rapid developments in the energy system?

Public authorities and chenges in the institutionalframeworks

The energy

transition

also provides

fertile

ground

for multi-level

approaches.

Potential

areas

of investigation include major internal

arenas

like

^the

tn

^Climate

Change Conferences

(cor),

the increasing numbers of European or national initiatives and declarations, the development

of

new sectors and land-consuming installations, invention of national/local regulation mechanisms in response to technological deve- lopments. The question here

is

the

growing

power

of local policies

and the gradual

elirnination of

both national policies and the

traditional

large-scale producers

in

this new model.

In

such a context, a close

look

at the

local

cornrnunities

is

doubly

justified. In

spatial terms, because these new configurations of energy actors are most often

locally

rooted and come into conflict

with

traditional types of land use. And in

political

terms, because

legislative

and

regulatory

changes

in

most countries have addressed these new issues in their planning and local development policies. In many states, the most recent laws have progressively required local authorities

to confront

the question

of

energy.

This is amply

demonstrated

in

France, where

local

communities have now becorne major energy stakeholders, whether at the level of planning operations (urban heating systems, low-energy buildings), land use and development docnments (urban transport services and carbon footprint

oflocal

planning schemes,

teritorial

coherence plans

following

the 2007 Grenelle Environment conference, regulation

of

new uses) or sfrategic planning (e.g. the Regional scheme for planning, sustainable development and

territorial

equality

[snaooer]

^{or the} Territorial climate-air-energy

plan [rcarr]).

This thematic issue is intended to feed debates on the ways the energy decentrali- sation brought about by the development of renewable energy impacts regional or local territories and, reciprocally, how stakeholders are engaging

with

this development and implementing

it

at their respective levels. Analyses of cases in Europe and elsewhere

in

the world are welcome. Articles dealing with use conflicts tied to large-scale renewable energy

installations

can be considered

ifthey

shed new

light

on the subject

in

the context

ofthis

call for papers.

239

Espace&Sté 17s.indd 239 01lO4l2O19 ^'13:'12

240

Espaces et sociétés 175

ISSUE

CooRDINAToRS

Jérôme

Dubois

and

Leïla Kébir DBEnInn FoR

ARTICLE SUBMISSIoNS

15

September 2019

ADDRESS

FoR

ST]BMISSIoNS

(in digital format only) [email protected] [email protected]

Authors with questions about the relevance of lheir proposals can contact the coordinators directly

Please Note:

The

journal

_considers only completed articles, not proposals.

Articles must not exceed 7,000 words/42,000 characters (with spaces), including texts, notes, bibliographical references and appendices, but not abstracts.

Author guidelines are included in each issue of the joumal.

Detailed guidelines and norms of presentation for subrnissions are available on the journal website:

http ://www esoacesetsocietes.msh-paris. frlen g/

nonnsrfor-the-presentation-of-subrnitted-papers-recomrnendations-to-authors/

It should be rernembered that authors can, at ary time, submit articles independently ofthe thematic issues, as long as these deal with the relationship between spaces, territories and populations in the broad sense and respect the journal's publication nonns.

Ifaccepted, these articles are quickly published in the 'Varia'section.

Espace&Slé 175.indd 24O 01lO4l2O19 13:12