Participation in the Energy Transition in Thuringia

Potential, Barriers, and Strategies for Cooperation and Communication Aimed at Reaching Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Population Groups

The German federal government seeks to strengthen participation in the energy transition through amendments to the Energy Industry Act that facilitate energy sharing. As the Federal Ministry for the Environment states, ‘This strengthens participation in the energy transition and social cohesion” (BMUKN 2025). The legislative changes are intended to make it easier for private individuals to collectively use locally generated energy or share it with neighbours, for example within a building or along a street.

However, voluntary engagement and participation in the energy transition is shaped by social inequalities. This is particularly evident in community energy projects, where people with higher levels of education and income tend to be overrepresented. As Radtke (2025, p. 276) notes, ‘In community energy projects, […] women, people with a migrant background, or socially disadvantaged groups are severely underrepresented.’

To foster broad public support and the social cohesion referred to above, and in recognition of the need for a just societal transformation, it is crucial that all social groups have the opportunity to participate in the energy transition. Despite the growing body of academic and practice-oriented literature on participation in the energy transition, there remains a lack of analyses and concrete strategies aimed at increasing the participation of socio-economically disadvantaged people.

About the project

The research project ‘Participation in the Energy Transition in Thuringia’, funded by Thüringer Aufbaubank, investigates the potentials and barriers to greater participation of socio-economically disadvantaged people in the energy transition in Thuringia, using the electricity sector as a case study. Based on these findings, the project develops strategies and measures to enhance opportunities for participation.

The project is conducted by the Institute for Urban Research, Planning, and Communication (ISP) and the Chair of Social Sciences of Sustainability at Erfurt University of Applied Sciences in close collaboration with practice partners, particularly from the social and housing sectors. The project pursues the following objectives:

1. To identify conditions that facilitate or hinder social participation in the energy transition.
2. To analyse the characteristics of relevant stakeholders in Thuringia, including their socio-demographic profiles, attitudes, and consumption patterns, and to highlight associated inequalities.
3. To centre the perspectives of socio-economically disadvantaged people through focus groups and a household survey, thereby developing a better understanding of participation from the viewpoint of disadvantaged people.
4. To explore, together with partners from the social and housing sectors, the role of intermediary actors in promoting participation and to transfer project findings into practice, primarily through a practical guide aimed at improving the integration of disadvantaged groups into the energy transition in Thuringia.

Practical application 

From the outset, researchers at Erfurt University of Applied Sciences work closely with partners from the social services and housing sectors. This ongoing exchange ensures that the solutions developed within the project are highly practice-oriented and aligned with the real-world needs of stakeholders.

The findings of the project’s analyses will be compiled into a practical guide containing recommendations for actors in the social and housing sectors. The guide will present strategies and tools designed to facilitate greater participation of socio-economically disadvantaged groups in the energy transition. Potential approaches include community energy cooperatives as well as low-threshold participation models, such as landlord-provided balcony solar systems.

Collaboration with practice partners also plays a key role in transferring the project’s findings into the social and housing sectors in Thuringia and beyond. In addition to academic publications, the dissemination of project results will be supported through an online conference and a series of expert discussions, fostering knowledge exchange between research and practice.

Scientific contribution of the project 

With its practice-oriented recommendations for the social and housing sectors, the project team not only contributes to the development of effective strategies and measures that enhance the social participation of socio-economically disadvantaged people in the energy transition but also enriches academic discourse on social justice and participation in the socio-ecological transformation of society in the context of climate neutrality and energy security.

In addition to publishing articles in academic journals, an open-access anthology on the project topic will be released, and the academic and professional community will be addressed at the online conference marking the project’s conclusion.t.