The urgent need to address climate change and the importance of social equity make the transition to a sustainable and equitable energy system all the more critical. This dissertation investigates the potential of Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), organized in cooperative structures, as innovative governance models for local energy production and consumption. Despite increasing policy attention, there are still significant gaps in the literature with regards to governance frameworks that integrate principles of sustainability, social justice, and intergenerational equity. Traditional centralized, market-driven energy systems fail to answer the dual challenges of environmental sustainability and energy poverty, since they can lead to social exclusion and inequality. This raises the central question of how RECs can help ensure a democratic, just, and sustainable energy transition. The first part of the dissertation adopts a multi-disciplinary methodology in developing a normative framework informed by Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach, John Rawls’ theory of justice, and Elinor Ostrom’s design principles for the governance of commons. This section argues that RECs, as participatory governance structures, embody key principles of commons management—such as clearly defined boundaries, collective decision-making, and conflict resolution, which are critical for equitable and sustainable resource management. The developed normative framework conceptualizes energy not only as a commodity but also as an essential social resource, with its governance carrying significant consequences for personal welfare and social equity. The second part of the analysis follows a law and economics approach, using New Institutional Economics (NIE) to assess the effectiveness of different juridical forms in advancing the goals of sustainability, fairness, and inclusive governance. The contribution shows the potential of cooperative governance models in the reduction of transaction costs, increasing stakeholder trust, and fostering long-term commitment to renewable energy initiatives. The last part of the dissertation presents an empirical investigation through a leximetric analysis of REC charters from Italy, France, and Switzerland, and it will evaluate to what extent these governance models reflect democratic participation, inclusiveness, and environmental sustainability. The findings show that RECs, organized in cooperative forms, can considerably enhance social value by enabling local communities to take an active part in energy governance by reducing access barriers. By aligning with Ostrom’s commons-based governance principles, RECs offer a viable alternative to centralized energy systems, promoting social cohesion and environmental resilience. The research project, funded by a PON Research and Innovation 2014-2020 grant, was strongly shaped by the "in-company" period carried out at Legacoop Nazionale under the supervision of Fondazione Unipolis. This experience significantly contributed to refining the investigative lens on the phenomenon of RECs through practical engagement and direct involvement with the stakeholders of these initiatives. Finally, the appendix includes a brief report on the voluntary consultancy work undertaken for the drafting of the statute of the REC “A tutto Sole,” which provided a concrete opportunity to appreciate the potential external impacts of this research project. As such, the thesis finishes with some governance recommendations to facilitate growth and resilience of RECs, according to cooperative governance models that would operate within sustainability and justice principles at both the national and EU levels. This book, therefore, through its multidisciplinary integration of normative theories, legal-economic analysis, and empirical research into energy governance, contributes to a wider academic debate on how to foster a just and sustainable energy future.
La necessità di affrontare il cambiamento climatico e l’importanza di garantire l’equità sociale rendono la transizione verso un sistema energetico sostenibile ed equo una priorità fondamentale. Questa tesi analizza il potenziale delle Comunità Energetiche Rinnovabili (CER), strutturate secondo principi cooperativi, come modelli innovativi di governance per la produzione e il consumo di energia a livello locale. Nonostante l’attenzione politica verso tali iniziative stia aumentando, esistono ancora lacune significative in letteratura riguardanti i modelli e principi di governance che integrano principi di sostenibilità, giustizia sociale ed equità intergenerazionale. I sistemi energetici centralizzati e orientati al mercato, tradizionalmente prevalenti, si rivelano inadeguati nell’affrontare simultaneamente le sfide della sostenibilità ambientale e della povertà energetica, poiché rischiano di favorire l’esclusione sociale e le disuguaglianze. Da questa premessa emerge una questione fondamentale: come possono le CER contribuire a garantire una transizione energetica democratica, equa e sostenibile? Lo studio si propone di offrire una comprensione interdisciplinare delle CER come modello di governance per iniziative collettive e dal basso nel campo delle energie rinnovabili. La dissertazione si inserisce nel contesto dell’innovazione formalmente introdotta nell’Unione Europea con la Direttiva sulle Energie Rinnovabili 2018/2001 e intende costituire una base per ulteriori ricerche mirate all’identificazione delle migliori pratiche e delle innovazioni di governance nei diversi contesti nazionali, fornendo indicazioni utili ai decisori politici interessati a sostenere lo sviluppo delle CER mediante l’adozione di quadri giuridici adeguati e incentivi mirati. La prima parte della tesi adotta un approccio multidisciplinare, sviluppando un quadro normativo basato sull’approccio delle capacità di Amartya Sen, sulla teoria della giustizia di John Rawls e sui principi di progettazione di Elinor Ostrom per la gestione dei beni comuni. Si sostiene che le CER, in quanto strutture di governance partecipativa, rappresentino principi basilari per la gestione sostenibile ed equa delle risorse comuni, come la chiara definizione dei confini della risorsa, il processo decisionale collettivo e la risoluzione dei conflitti. Questo quadro concettualizza l’energia non solo come una merce da scambiare sul mercato, ma anche come una risorsa sociale essenziale, la cui gestione influisce in modo significativo sul benessere individuale e sull’equità sociale. La seconda parte dell’analisi adotta una prospettiva di analisi economica del diritto, utilizzando la New Institutional Economics (NIE) per valutare l’efficacia delle diverse forme giuridiche nel raggiungere gli obiettivi di sostenibilità, equità e governance inclusiva. Il contributo evidenzia il potenziale dei modelli di governance cooperativa nel ridurre i costi di transazione, rafforzare la fiducia tra gli attori coinvolti e promuovere un impegno a lungo termine nelle iniziative di energia rinnovabile. L’ultima sezione della tesi presenta un’analisi empirica basata su un’analisi lessimetrica degli statuti delle CER in Italia, Francia e Svizzera, valutando in che misura tali modelli di governance riflettano i principi di partecipazione democratica, inclusività e sostenibilità ambientale. I risultati dimostrano che le CER organizzate secondo modelli cooperativi possono generare un notevole valore sociale, consentendo alle comunità locali di partecipare attivamente alla governance energetica e riducendo le barriere di accesso. Allineandosi ai principi di gestione dei beni comuni elaborati da Ostrom, le CER costituiscono un’alternativa concreta ai sistemi energetici centralizzati, promuovendo la coesione sociale e la resilienza ambientale. Il progetto di ricerca, finanziato da un progetto PON Ricerca e Innovazione 2014-2020, è stato fortemente caratterizzato dal periodo “in impresa” svolto presso Legacoop Nazionale, sotto la supervisione di Fondazione Unipolis. Questa esperienza ha infatti contribuito significativamente a formare la lente d’investigazione del fenomeno delle CER attraverso l’esperienza pratica ed il coinvolgimento con gli stakeholder di queste iniziative. In appendice, infine, si allega il breve resoconto dell’esperienza di consulenza volontaria svolta per la stesura dello statuto della CER “A tutto Sole”, che ha permesso di apprezzare fattivamente le possibili ricadute esterne di questo progetto di ricerca. In conclusione, la tesi propone raccomandazioni di governance destinate a favorire la crescita e la resilienza delle CER, adottando modelli cooperativi capaci di operare secondo principi di sostenibilità e giustizia sia a livello nazionale che europeo. Attraverso l’integrazione multidisciplinare di teorie normative, analisi economico-giuridiche e ricerche empiriche sulla governance energetica, questa dissertazione contribuisce al dibattito accademico più ampio su come promuovere un futuro energetico più giusto e sostenibile.
RENEWABLE ENERGY COMMUNITIES AS EFFECTIVE CO-OPERATIVE FORMS OF GOVERNANCE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY AS A COMMON AND TOOLS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL, INTERGENERATIONAL AND ENERGETIC JUSTICE
GRECO, GRAZIA
2025
Abstract
The urgent need to address climate change and the importance of social equity make the transition to a sustainable and equitable energy system all the more critical. This dissertation investigates the potential of Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), organized in cooperative structures, as innovative governance models for local energy production and consumption. Despite increasing policy attention, there are still significant gaps in the literature with regards to governance frameworks that integrate principles of sustainability, social justice, and intergenerational equity. Traditional centralized, market-driven energy systems fail to answer the dual challenges of environmental sustainability and energy poverty, since they can lead to social exclusion and inequality. This raises the central question of how RECs can help ensure a democratic, just, and sustainable energy transition. The first part of the dissertation adopts a multi-disciplinary methodology in developing a normative framework informed by Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach, John Rawls’ theory of justice, and Elinor Ostrom’s design principles for the governance of commons. This section argues that RECs, as participatory governance structures, embody key principles of commons management—such as clearly defined boundaries, collective decision-making, and conflict resolution, which are critical for equitable and sustainable resource management. The developed normative framework conceptualizes energy not only as a commodity but also as an essential social resource, with its governance carrying significant consequences for personal welfare and social equity. The second part of the analysis follows a law and economics approach, using New Institutional Economics (NIE) to assess the effectiveness of different juridical forms in advancing the goals of sustainability, fairness, and inclusive governance. The contribution shows the potential of cooperative governance models in the reduction of transaction costs, increasing stakeholder trust, and fostering long-term commitment to renewable energy initiatives. The last part of the dissertation presents an empirical investigation through a leximetric analysis of REC charters from Italy, France, and Switzerland, and it will evaluate to what extent these governance models reflect democratic participation, inclusiveness, and environmental sustainability. The findings show that RECs, organized in cooperative forms, can considerably enhance social value by enabling local communities to take an active part in energy governance by reducing access barriers. By aligning with Ostrom’s commons-based governance principles, RECs offer a viable alternative to centralized energy systems, promoting social cohesion and environmental resilience. The research project, funded by a PON Research and Innovation 2014-2020 grant, was strongly shaped by the "in-company" period carried out at Legacoop Nazionale under the supervision of Fondazione Unipolis. This experience significantly contributed to refining the investigative lens on the phenomenon of RECs through practical engagement and direct involvement with the stakeholders of these initiatives. Finally, the appendix includes a brief report on the voluntary consultancy work undertaken for the drafting of the statute of the REC “A tutto Sole,” which provided a concrete opportunity to appreciate the potential external impacts of this research project. As such, the thesis finishes with some governance recommendations to facilitate growth and resilience of RECs, according to cooperative governance models that would operate within sustainability and justice principles at both the national and EU levels. This book, therefore, through its multidisciplinary integration of normative theories, legal-economic analysis, and empirical research into energy governance, contributes to a wider academic debate on how to foster a just and sustainable energy future.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14242/213741
URN:NBN:IT:UNIMI-213741