TY - JOUR
T1 - Toward an urban political ecology of energy justice
T2 - The case of rooftop solar in Tucson, AZ
AU - Franklin, Remington
AU - Osborne, Tracey
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, University of Arizona Libraries.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - The rapid deployment of rooftop solar panels in many US cities has raised new concerns about the fair distribution of electricity costs through rates. Electric utilities argue that existing rate structures shift costs from solar owners to lower-income ratepayers, while critics say rooftop solar benefits all ratepayers and helps address environmental injustice. In light of these competing justice claims, this article asks: what are the implications of rooftop solar for energy justice? Drawing on a case study from southern Arizona, we use urban political ecology (UPE) to analyze debates about rooftop solar that speak to three types of justice: distributive, procedural, and recognition. While dominant justice claims revolve around the distribution of costs through rates, competing claims emphasize procedural and recognition (in)justice. Focusing on political economy, power relations, and the materiality of the grid, we reframe the utility company's cost shift argument as a strategic narrative and explain why this understanding of justice is recognized as legitimate while others are not. We propose that UPE can further an energy justice analysis by understanding procedural and recognition injustice as systemic products of rate of return regulation, and the material configuration of the electric grid.
AB - The rapid deployment of rooftop solar panels in many US cities has raised new concerns about the fair distribution of electricity costs through rates. Electric utilities argue that existing rate structures shift costs from solar owners to lower-income ratepayers, while critics say rooftop solar benefits all ratepayers and helps address environmental injustice. In light of these competing justice claims, this article asks: what are the implications of rooftop solar for energy justice? Drawing on a case study from southern Arizona, we use urban political ecology (UPE) to analyze debates about rooftop solar that speak to three types of justice: distributive, procedural, and recognition. While dominant justice claims revolve around the distribution of costs through rates, competing claims emphasize procedural and recognition (in)justice. Focusing on political economy, power relations, and the materiality of the grid, we reframe the utility company's cost shift argument as a strategic narrative and explain why this understanding of justice is recognized as legitimate while others are not. We propose that UPE can further an energy justice analysis by understanding procedural and recognition injustice as systemic products of rate of return regulation, and the material configuration of the electric grid.
KW - Decentralized energy
KW - Electric utility regulation
KW - Energy justice
KW - Rooftop solar
KW - Urban political ecology
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U2 - 10.15587/1729-4061.2020.205048
DO - 10.15587/1729-4061.2020.205048
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85068708545
VL - 24
SP - 1055
EP - 1076
JO - Journal of Political Ecology
JF - Journal of Political Ecology
SN - 1073-0451
IS - 1
ER -