ABSTRACT
In the postwar period, energy supply has been controlled first by large nationalized monopolistic utilities, then replaced by large privatized utilities. In each case control is very remote from the energy user giving little incentive for the consumer to take responsibility for the adverse impacts of the use of energy in their home or business. During the late 1990s, efforts to introduce competition into domestic energy supply have opened the possibility for energy utilities with community stakeholders, energy purchasing cooperatives and other ‘community-based’ structures dealing with energy. A variety of legal structures are being utilized that give the community a range of different roles in the ownership and management of energy systems. This chapter sets out to demonstrate that community stakeholding is a key element to achieving greater sustainability.
