Forging green frontiers: The agonistic potential of energy communities

Drawing on Mouffe's theory of agonistic pluralism, we examine the potential of energy communities (ECs) to discursively forge a progressive frontier for green populism. While the European energy transition remains embedded in neoliberal institutions, ECs are increasingly recognized as a means for democratizing energy production and fostering grassroots participation. Through qualitative, action-oriented research on two Swedish EC-initiatives, we ask whether collective efforts to establish cooperatively owned energy configurations can enable counterhegemonic formations that challenge corporate control over the energy sector. We analyze how key signifiers—“resilience,” “smartness,” and “robustness”—function as discursive nodal points, uniting diverse actors in their opposition to top-down governance. However, we also identify tensions between bottom-up experimentation and institutional constraints. We conclude that while ECs offer a promising platform for political mobilization, their transformative potential depends on their ability to resist cooptation and avoid reinforcing existing electricity grid structures.