The Possibility of Building Social Capital through the Community-based Renewable Energy Project

Abstract

After the Great East Japan Earthquake in the Tohoku region and the explosion of the Fukushima Daiichi (first) Nuclear Power Plant in March 2011, the market of renewable energy in Japan rapidly expanded as the FIT (Feed-in Tariff) now covers a capacity of 56GW (2012.7-2014.3). Renewable energy was originally suited for community-based economies, but in fact, large companies own most renewable energy power plants in local areas, yet they have not contributed to activating the local economy; results lack in local benefits such as human resource hiring and money circulation. The community-based renewable energy movement was born in Europe and gradually spread throughout Japan. The objectives of this movement are activation of the local community and achievement of autonomy through renewable energy. This paper introduces one such community-based renewable energy project, located in Tama, a suburb of Tokyo. It considers the possibility of building social capital through characteristic projects, such as a citizen fund, driving the public with two different organizations, and youth training programs related to renewable energy.