WE THE PLUG THO: Energy Democracy and the Politics of Social Reproduction in Atlanta

Abstract

In this article we consider how social movements participate in energy regulation in Atlanta, in order to argue that democratizing energy must entail a politics of social reproduction based on universal access to affordable energy for a healthy and dignified life. We assess how the formation of an everyday politics of energy democracy emerged from the shifting and collaborative role of activist scholars and scholar activists amid the pandemic in Atlanta. This article is based on our combined reflection of two years of participation with ‘We The Plug Tho’ (WTPT), an energy justice organization formed around the principles that energy justice is racial justice, and democratic participation and involvement in energy regulation are required to achieve these outcomes. We study three lessons arising from WTPT's work to translate the technical language of energy regulation to communicate with a broader audience, engage voters and organize mutual aid to pay electric bills. Methodologically, we contend that these three examples of dialogue between research and community organizing to support grassroots campaigns represent evidence that the scholar activist project of democratizing knowledge to connect with energy-poor households and respond to their everyday needs is a foundational component of energy democracy.