Democratizing energy justice: Rethinking energy justice in authoritarian times

In the name of the European Green Deal that “leaves no one behind,” energy transition projects multiply. Amid this rush, scholars warn about their justice concerns: uneven distribution of costs and benefits, marginalization of certain sections of society, and absence of mechanisms for remediating injustices. However, energy justice scholarship often overlooks how energy transitions can facilitate authoritarian dynamics. Many assume that democratic progress supports just energy transitions, while democratic backsliding halts them. Others argue that the urgency of low-carbon transitions justifies sidelining democracy, despite evidence from authoritarian regimes where such projects trample Indigenous rights, suppress activists and enable corruption. Authoritarian states maintain complex relationships with disadvantaged communities, often using energy poverty to justify policies that reinforce their power under the guise of just transitions. This article examines how rising authoritarianism can hamper just energy transformations and calls for integrating democracy into energy justice research. I explore two key challenges: (a) how authoritarian regimes manipulate energy poverty narratives to tighten control and (b) how struggles over energy justice can expose cracks in authoritarian rule. By theorizing democracy within energy justice, I aim to shift the research agenda toward more inclusive and just energy transformations, emphasizing democracy as a central concern.