Collaborative Research: Anthropological Perspectives on Renewable Energy Infrastructures

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Renewable forms of energy (those energies naturally replenished on a human timescale) have been hailed as solutions to energy security, especially for the poor. In particular, the use of solar, wind, and biomass technologies to provide electricity both on and off national grids is escalating worldwide. Energy access and use is not just a technological issue but also a social one, creating opportunities and risks related to connection and production. While there has been significant research on the social effects of carbon-based energy production and use, we know less about the specific ways alternative forms of energy transform peoples' lives, create new opportunities or risk, and affect relationships between individuals and communities. Understanding how alternative forms of energy are perceived and used at the household level, especially by those who may not have access to traditional forms of electrification, is a crucial part of assessing whether and how alternative energy sources can contribute to a more comprehensive and secure portfolio of energy options. Findings from this research will illuminate the ways alternative energy technologies are incorporated into daily life and to what effect, and will inform national and international energy policies that can be targeted toward meeting the needs of the most marginalized members of society. The project also provides training for students in methods of rigorous, scientific data collection and analysis; broadens participation in the sciences through the training of students and researchers from underrepresented groups; and it improves scientific infrastructure through international scientific collaboration.Dr. Kristin Phillips of Emory University and Dr. Erin Dean of the New College of Florida will explore the question of whether the benefits and risks associated with the adoption of new energy technologies are socioeconomically differentiated. This research will examine the impact of solar, wind, and biomass energy technologies on the everyday lives of people in the East African nation of Tanzania. Tanzania is a particularly appropriate place for such a study because the state's pursuit of traditional carbon energy development has been coupled with a notable rise in alternative, renewable energy investment by public and private sources. It provides an appropriate laboratory for investigating energy consumption at the household level, where 90% of energy consumption takes place). The researchers have each worked for over a decade in Tanzania, and their in-country research background is geographically diverse, providing the opportunity to consider different approaches to energy use in rural, urban, peri-urban, and island contexts. Because the existing literature tends to overlook the role of women in energy production and consumption, gendered energy labor and use is an important focus of this research. With gender and geographic range in mind, the core of the research for this project will be conducted through critical case studies in domestic settings in three diverse sites. The researchers will use purposive sampling to identify socioeconomically diverse households who are using a range of energy technologies. Using the methods of observation, interviews, and focus groups, they will investigate the socioeconomic dimensions of renewable energy development. The researchers will also conduct interviews with energy experts, advocates, suppliers, policymakers, investors, and technicians in the public and private sector. Findings from the project will make important contributions to scientific discussions about the optimization of energy extraction, theories of inequality, and debates about infrastructure.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.