介於社會運動與市場之間：臺灣公民電廠的初探

Between Social Movements and Markets: A Preliminary Study of Citizen Power Plants in Taiwan

公民電廠是指一般民眾參與再生能源的生產，被認為是可以促成能源民主化的重要關鍵，打破國家或是大資本對於能源生產的壟斷。本研究選取若干臺灣在地的個案進行考察，評估公民電廠運動在臺灣的實際進展狀況。研究結果指出：相較於其他再生能源事業，公民電廠具有克服市場經濟對電力新創事業限制、增強社區參與與認同、促進經濟權力重分配的優勢。然公民電廠亦因為背後支持之公民團體的不同屬性，與民主化過程中公民運動參與的不同程度，相應地組成多種社會技術想像，而綜合地形成兩種不同的發展路徑：強調參與、學習的倡議／教育模式；與側重經濟民主、能源發展的產業／發展模式。換言之，臺灣的公民電廠呈現出多元化樣態，有些是偏重社會運動的目標（參與與民主化）；有些則是較重視經濟效益（發電）。研究發現指出，折衷兩種發展路徑的經營策略最有益於公民電廠的成長與發展。

Citizen power plants are renewable energy enterprises collectively owned and managed by individuals residing in specific communities. They variously take the form of limited liability companies, co-operatives, or social enterprises. Some researchers describe them as a key energy democratization factor, based on their potential to resist and break state and capital electricity production monopolies. Findings from our investigation of citizen power plants in Taiwan indicate that social movement involvement exerts a strong effect on development and relevant sociotechnical imaginaries—in other words, organizations linked with social movements are more likely to take participatory approaches that emphasize social learning, civil participation, and education. In contrast, our findings suggest that organizations lacking such connections with social movements tend to emphasize electricity production increases and the pragmatic economic aspects of renewable energy enterprises.