The Politics of Energy Justice

Abstract

Energy justice is a concept that describes and explains how issues of justice relate to energy systems. It draws on long-standing justice theory and is particularly elaborated within the environmental justice literature in relation to distributive, procedural, and recognition justice to explore the costs and benefits of energy systems. This chapter explores the two strands of literature that have emerged: one around the dynamics of energy consumption in terms of access and affordability and the second around the politics of energy production, largely in relation to infrastructure. It sets out an agenda for future research across three broad themes: connection and multiplicity, framing and discourses, and transitions and responsibility.