UM researchers receive KIN Grant to study community wealth creation in the energy transition

Energy cooperatives have become an increasingly important part of the energy transition in the Netherlands. In recent years, several of the country’s approximately 700 energy cooperatives have established community funds to support local projects. This emerging approach to creating and redistributing community wealth has so far received limited empirical attention.

Christian Scholl and Job Zomerplaag from Maastricht University have now received a €50,000 KIN Grant from Klimaatonderzoek Initiatief Nederland (KIN) to investigate how these community funds function and what impact they have. KIN is an initiative of NWO and KNAW.

The project brings together expertise in sustainability transitions, citizen participation and collaborative governance. Both researchers have extensive experience in participatory and socially relevant research addressing sustainability challenges.

Over the coming academic year, the researchers will conduct action research together with community funds, Floor de Jong from climate foundation HIER and two data journalists and documentary makers. Through a series of co-creative workshops, participating cooperatives will critically reflect on their current funding mechanisms and jointly develop possible improvements. These improvements will subsequently be tested, monitored and evaluated in collaboration with the participating organisations and research team.

The project aims to develop improved funding mechanisms for energy cooperatives while generating greater scientific understanding of this emerging form of community wealth creation. Ultimately, the research will explore how community funds can contribute to a more just and inclusive energy transition.