Geothermal energy is receiving increasing attention as a renewable source of flexible baseload electrical capacity or heat in countries both in the global south and north. One of the prime examples is the geothermal energy boom in Turkey since the 2010s which has catapulted the country to the fourth largest producer of geothermal electricity in the world. This development was pushed by international climate finance and the development of national regulation and subsidy schemes, while societal and (local) spatial consequences were largely neglected. This paper uses assemblage thinking to explore the plural social, material, and political actors and processes surrounding geothermal energy in Turkey, to provide insights in the promises, pitfalls and spatialization of geothermal energy as part of a just and inclusive decarbonization strategy. Using Q-methodology, this study explored the plurality of viewpoints among a variety of stakeholders (n=21) involved in or affected by geothermal energy in the agriculturally fertile Aydin region of Western Turkey. Results demonstrate a highly polarized debate with four major coexisting discourse coalitions that have widely different perceptions of the assemblages of social, material and political actors and processes surrounding geothermal energy in Turkey. However, in this polarized debate there appears to be consensus on a number of issues, such as the need for social- and environmental impact assessments independent of the size or phase of projects, improved community engagement and benefits, and development of a central geothermal agency for integrated assessment of permits. A just and inclusive energy transition needs to take into account this plurality of perspectives and this study shows how Q-method can help find bridging perspectives in these highly polarized debates.

Rozanne C. Spijkerboer & Ethemcan Turhan
University of Groningen

 
ID Abstract: 47