Energy Democracy in Colombia's Wind Energy Sector: Exploring Stakeholder Counter Narratives and Participation in Colombia’s Wind Energy Transition at the Jemeiwaa Kai Project

Katrine Victoria Bondrup Bagger

Student thesis: Master thesis


This thesis explores key stakeholder energy democracy counter narratives to the Jemeiwaa Ka’I wind energy project in Colombia and moreover what these energy democracy counter narratives reveal about energy democracy elements to the project. An embedded case study design has allowed the following to unfold. It is found that the five key stakeholders to the project; the indigenous Wayúu communities groups, the listed project owner AES Colombia, the contracting company Jemeiwaa Ka’I S.A.S E.S.P, Colombian Government entities, and the Colombian NGO Indepaz, hold different counter narratives affecting energy democracy elements to the project, in particular the degree of community participation.
Lack of information and transparency in project governance processes show to hinder community participation and potential bottom-up initiatives, despite fundamental and collective rights safeguard mechanisms exist. Procedural injustice is revealed indicating that not all relevant stakeholders have been given the opportunity to participate in decision-making processes. Furthermore it is found that only two stakeholders (Indepaz and the Colombian Government) consider democratic enhancing changes to energy ownership structures challenging the current energy scheme.
In this way, this thesis contributes to excising energy democracy research. Specifically, the thesis contributes with understanding energy democracy counter narratives in a geographically specific context by exploring energy democracy counter narratives in a Global South country presenting a case with a top down-bottom-up relevant energy democracy configuration. Additionally, this thesis also contributes to the renewable energy transition literature by connecting energy democracy elements to the excising literature on barriers to wind energy implementation in Colombia.

Educations, (Graduate Programme) Final Thesis
Publication date2020
Number of pages88
SupervisorsJacobo Ramirez