Wind harvest and heat theft as indicators of new ownership structures.

Outline

The project explores the emergence and transformation of ownership structures as a result of the utilisation of energy derived from two natural resources: wind and geothermal energy. Its objectives are twofold. Firstly, it aims to investigate whether the existing ownership system has been changing as a result of the new, energetic utilisation of the natural resources in question and to analyse the role of ignorance in that process.

Secondly, it aims to analyse the impact of changing property rights on the relationship of ownership subjects with nature and technology.

Project activities

Publications

Academic publications

Sonnberger, M.; Pfeiffer, M.; Groß, M. (2024): “Who owns the wind? Understanding wind energy production through a property chains perspective”, In: Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, https://doi.org/10.1177/25148486241282544.
Sonnberger, Marco; Bleicher, Alena; Gross, Matthias (eds.) (2024): Handbuch Umweltsoziologie. Second edition, fully revised and expanded. Wiesbaden, Springer VS.
Sonnberger, M.; Pfeiffer, M.; Bleicher, A.; & Gross, M. (2024): "Wake effects and temperature plumes: Coping with non-knowledge in the expansion of wind and geothermal energy", In: Social Studies of Science, 0 (0).
Müller, Andrea; Pfeiffer, Maria (2023): “Gemeinwohl statt Gewinnmaximierung. Kommunale Unternehmen in der sozial-ökologischen Transformation”, In: Politikum 9(3): 41-47.
Horn, D.; Groß, M.; Pfeiffer, M.; Sonnberger, M. (2022): “How Far Is Far Enough? The Social Constitution of Geothermal Energy through Spacing Regulations.”, In: Sustainability 14 (1): 496, https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010496.
Gross, Matthias; Sonnberger, Marco (2022): “Making the Most of Failure and Uncertainty: Welcome Surprises and Contingency in Energy Transition Research”. In: Energies 15: 6649
Otto, Danny; Pfeiffer, Maria; de Brito, Mariana M.; Groß, Matthias (2022): "Fixed Amidst Change: 20 Years of Media Coverage on Carbon Capture and Storage in Germany“, In: Sustainability 14 (12): 7342. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127342.

Outreach, media and podcasts

Organisation of the public panel discussion (together with TP Z01) “Energiewende für alle? On the role of ownership structures for the transformation of the energy system”, Altes Rathaus, Jena (29.02.2024)
Public lecture and discussion “Eigentumsverhältnisse und Bürger*innenbeteiligung in der Energiewende“, organised by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. (27.09.23)
Public lecture and discussion “Wem gehört der Wind? Eigentum und Beteiligung in der Energiewende”, organised by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. (06.04.22)
Gross, Matthias; Pfeiffer, Maria; Horn, Daniel; Sonnberger, Marco (2022): “Blowing in the wind turbines”, In: blog of the Collaborative Research Centre “Structural Change of Property”. (published on 17.03.2022)

Lectures

“Energiedemokratie im deutschen Windenergieausbau? Zur Ungleichverteilung der Entscheidungsmacht in der Energiewende”; TConference of the DGS working group "Sociology of Sustainability" (SONA) and the DGS section Environmental and Sustainability Sociology; University of Stuttgart (06.-07.06.2024)
“Leaking in or leaking out – Conceptual thoughts on underground leakage”; Leakage – Inaugural Conference of stsing; TU Dresden (19.03.-22.03.2024)
“Landeigentum als entscheidende Weichenstellung für die Partizipation an der Windenergie”; Workshop “Energy crisis, ownership and services of general interest - The energy system in transition”; University of Jena (29.02.2024)
“Wem gehört der Wind? Soziologische Betrachtungen zu Eigentumsverhältnissen in der Energiewende”; Colloquium Infrastruktur & Gesellschaft; Universität Stuttgart (13.12.2023)
“Wake Effects and Temperature Plumes: Coping with Nonknowledge in the Expansion of Wind and Geothermal Energy”; 6th Energy and Society Conference; 6. to 08.09.2023; University of Trento.
“Wind energy, property regimes and nature-society-technology relations: an empirical exploration of the social perception of wind as an property object“; 6th Energy and Society Conference; 6. to 08.09.2023; University of Trento.
“Grenzen der Inwertsetzung von Wind und Untergrundwärme als Grenzen des Wissens“; 41. DGS-Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie (DGS); 26. to 30.09.2022; University of Bielefeld.
”Renewable Energies and Shifting Property Rights: Reckoning Limits of Renewability“; Global Meeting on Law & Society 2022; 13. to 16.07.2022; ISCTE University Institute of Lisbon.
“Kältefahnen und Abschattungseffekte – Die soziale Konstitution von Erneuerbarkeit und die Grenzen des Wissens”; Frühjahrstagung der Sektion Umwelt- und Nachhaltigkeitssoziologie der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie (DGS); 31.03. to 01.04.2022; Europa-University Flensburg.
“Who Owns the Wind? Wind Theft as a New Challenge for the Sociology of Not Knowing”; 15th Conference of the European Sociological Association; 31.08. to 03.09.2021; Barcelona.
“Who Owns the Wind? Wind Theft as a New Challenge for the Sociology of Not Knowing”; STS Conference Graz 2021; 03. to 05.05.2021; Technical University Graz.

Events

Organisation of the panel "Ownership, energy justice and the expansion of renewables" at the STS Conference Graz 2024; TU Graz (06.-04.08.2024)
Organisation of the workshop (together with TP C04, JRT 03, Z01) "Energy crisis, ownership and services of general interest - the changing energy system"; University of Jena (29.02.-01.03.2024)
Organisation of the panel “The transition to low-carbon energy systems and new regimes of ownership”; STS Conference Graz 2022; 02. to 04.05.2022; Graz University of Technology.