ABSTRACT
Citizen support for carbon-neutral pledges exemplifies the recent public push for increased opportunities for public participation in the energy environment. This phenomenon of energy democracy calls for citizen involvement in energy-related decision making as more than just consumers but rather prosumers. Previous research on the public role in energy democracy has examined indicators such as voting and trainings; however, research has yet to explore citizen attitudes toward and involvement in coalitions for combined action such as government carbon-neutral pledges. This chapter analyzes carbon-neutral pledges in the state of Utah as a case study of coalition-based energy democracy. It assesses residential stakeholders’ perceived risk and support of carbon-neutral pledges and questions how these actions may inspire future municipal efforts to further the energy democracy movement. By evaluating the role of carbon-neutral pledges as a coalition for energy democracy, this chapter outlines some of the material roles cities and citizens play in the fight against climate change. Finally, this case study demonstrates that carbon-neutral pledges represent the key tenets of energy democracy: participatory action, social justice, and a clean energy future.
