Beyond paternalism: Rethinking energy justice policy
ABSTRACT
Transitioning to clean energy has been widely embraced by governments and institutions, yet its implementation has often reinforced tendencies toward paternalistic and technocratic decision-making that can exacerbate systemic inequities. This perspective examines how energy justice has been institutionalized in policy, like the Justice40 Initiative, while still reproducing hierarchical governance structures that limit community agency. Energy justice programs frequently rely on expert-driven models and standardized tools, such as the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), which prioritize technocratic classification over participatory governance. Energy justice must be a negotiated, rather than imposed, process; one that redistributes decision-making power and fosters pluralistic, community-led transitions. Moving beyond paternalism requires integrating frame plurality, relational ethics, and structural change in institutional decision-making. Rather than treating energy justice as a problem to be solved through metrics and top-down interventions, we propose a choice infrastructure approach, guided by the SPACE framework, to restructure governance and recenter negotiations.
Stenger, K., & Schmidt, R. (2026). Beyond Paternalism: Rethinking Energy Justice Policy. Energy and Climate Change, 7: 100239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egycc.2026.100239