Deliberative Engagement
The rationale for this workstream emerged from a stakeholder workshop conducted in July 2006 towards the end of the Supergen FutureNet project and takes an applied focus upon processes of engagement between publics, network technologies and network operators. The workstream has four principle objectives:
- To deepen our understanding of how network operators conceive and practice public engagement
- To develop a framework for understanding how individuals and groups perceive and respond to network technologies
- To deliver citizens panels revealing public perceptions of, and preferences for, future network technology scenarios and energy systems
- To deepen understanding of the role of citizens panels in providing contexts for learning about energy technologies and systems
As stakeholders, citizens increasingly demand and expect greater information about and involvement in, decision making concerning the planning and implementation of energy technologies. However FutureNet research findings indicated that members of the public were poorly aware of network operators and perceived the siting of transmission pylons as being 'imposed' on them with little benefit to local places. Given calls for 'accelerated' planning in order to upgrade and innovate networks to enable greater flexibility and low carbon electricity generation, it is timely and necessary to study how network operators engage with diverse publics; and how members of the public, through conventional planning processes and deliberative procedures such as citizens panels, can better engage with the planning and implementation of technologies for flexible networks. This will be achieved through a collaborative project using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, as well as mechanisms for the involvement of industrial stakeholders (practitioner workshops with representatives of network operators), publics (citizens panels) and, where appropriate, other Supergen consortia, including Hydrogen and Bioenergy.
The outcome will be a deeper understanding of processes of public engagement with network technologies that will be of benefit to industry (network operators), governance (e.g. BERR and DCLG) and regulatory (e.g. OFGEM) institutions.
Work-stream Leader
Dr Patrick Devine-Wright
Department of Geography
Room Number: Amory 358
Amory Building
Rennes Drive
University of Exeter
Exeter, EX4 4RJ, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1392 722257
Email: p.g.devine-wright@exeter.ac.uk