Provincial polyphasia: Community energy generation and the politics of sustainability transition in Alberta, Canada

In exploring social acceptance for community energy generation and energy transition, we combined the theoretical lenses of social acceptance research and critical studies of power in transition studies to reveal provincial polyphasia. Fossil fuel rich Alberta is home to thelargest oil sands deposit and third greatest crude reserves in the world, and also has some of the best wind and solar resources in the nation. We follow community energy actors who as prairie entrepreneurs and innovators are keen to shake up the current system of centralised corporate-controlled energy politics and influence with alternative community-owned energy. While not yet ushering in transformative social change or energy transition, the community energy actors re-present instances of changing social relationships at two and sometimes three dimensions of the provincial energy system.