The promise and pitfalls of energy commons: the paradox of municipality-led civic solar programs in Taipei
Journal
Sustainability Science
ISSN
18624065
Date Issued
2025
Author(s)
Abstract
Amid growing calls for decentralized energy transitions, Taiwan has pursued citizen-based solar initiatives through various pathways. This article examines how the Taipei City Government governs civic energy in practice, and which social groups are included or sidelined in the process. Focusing on the institutionalization of a state-led civic energy program, the study analyzes how the municipality collaborates with solar subsidiaries, charitable organizations, and residents to install photovoltaic systems on public buildings. Guided by the co-city framework and principles of the urban commons, the study explores how local governments shape the legal, financial, and technical conditions that structure civic energy participation. Methodologically, it draws on case studies, archival research, and semi-structured interviews with municipal officials, cooperative and startup leaders, and platform operators. Findings show that while the program promotes participation through solar pooling, it disproportionately benefits subsidiaries and online investors, while marginalizing grassroots actors such as energy cooperatives and mission-driven startups. Rigid eligibility rules, limited rooftop access, and simplified financing mechanisms restrict broader civic engagement. The article develops the concept of an urban commons trap to explain how institutionalized commoning—though framed as inclusive—can reinforce marginalization when governed through technocratic or market-oriented policy designs. By analyzing Taipei’s civic solar program, the study contributes to scholarship on the urban commons and community energy, particularly in state-led contexts. It concludes with policy recommendations for designing more inclusive civic energy frameworks that recognize and support diverse forms of community-based energy ownership and engagement.
Subjects
Co-cities
Community energy
Solar pooling
Urban commons
Urban commons trap
Publisher
Springer
Type
journal article