Role of Social Enterprises in Addressing Energy Poverty: Making the Case for Refined Understanding through Theory of Co-Production of Knowledge and Theory of Social Capital

Praveen Kumar and Nishant Tiwary
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Praveen Kumar: Boston College School of Social Work, 134 McGuinn Hall, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
Nishant Tiwary: Ministry of Power and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, 207 Shram Shakti Bhawan, New Delhi 110001, India

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 20, 1-13

Abstract: Social enterprises have become increasingly central in the field of energy poverty. As a result of market and government failures, an increased emphasis on social enterprises to address energy poverty has emerged. Still, there is limited theoretical understanding guiding the role of social enterprises in addressing the challenge of energy poverty. We apply theories of co-production and social capital to analyze the role of social enterprises in disseminating and implementing cleaner energy alternatives to resource poor communities. By combining implications of these theories, we argue that social enterprises act as honest brokers between communities and technologists, cultivate new social relationships, and change social structures to move poor communities to adopt and use cleaner energy systems. Understanding the role of social enterprises in addressing energy poverty through a theoretical realm will provide a guiding framework to undertake systematic empirical investigation.

Keywords: social capital; co-production of knowledge; energy poverty; honest broker; social networks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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