Participatory and multi-level governance: applications to Aboriginal renewable energy projects

As provinces across Canada seek to diversify their domestic electricity supply and cope with the accelerating effects of anthropogenic climate change, new models of sustainability-focused economic development are being pursued. One critically important emerging paradigm involves First Nation (a Cana...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Local environment 2015-01, Vol.20 (1), p.81-101
Main Authors: Krupa, Joel, Galbraith, Lindsay, Burch, Sarah
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aboriginal peoples
Alternative energy
Authority
British Columbia
Canada
Canadian energy markets
Climate change
Collaboration
Communities
Community
community energy planning
Economic development
Electric power
Electricity
Global warming
Government and politics
Leadership
Nations
Ocean
Oceans
Offshore
Ontario
Power supply
Project design
Project evaluation
Renewable energy
Renewable energy sources
Sustainability
Sustainable development
Trust
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Summary:As provinces across Canada seek to diversify their domestic electricity supply and cope with the accelerating effects of anthropogenic climate change, new models of sustainability-focused economic development are being pursued. One critically important emerging paradigm involves First Nation (a Canadian term for indigenous) collaboration and leadership in renewable energy projects. In this comparative case study analysis, we consider two different governance approaches pursued in distinct renewable energy project contexts: the clean energy projects of the Ojibway Pic River First Nation band in northwestern Ontario and the NaiKun Offshore Wind Project proposed in the ocean territory of the Haida Nation off the coast of British Columbia (BC). Focusing on themes of participation and multi-level governance, the case studies highlight the importance of authority and control in decision processes, the primacy of ensuring that scale and quality of design are carefully scoped, and the shaping role of inclusiveness in planning for wholly sustainable energy futures. Taken together, these cases illustrate that fluid governance arrangements which exploit the particular capacities of each actor may give rise to trust that ultimately forms the foundation of a co-produced model of renewable energy governance. We argue that while collaboration might aim to be inclusive of all interested actors, it is important to consider the extent to which a project design might sufficiently incorporate a community's long-term vision. We conclude that truly sustainable renewable energy development requires a project design that reflects community values, incorporates community control, and incentivises indigenous ownership.
ISSN:1354-9839
1469-6711
DOI:10.1080/13549839.2013.818956