The document discusses social friction that can arise from opportunities in the green energy economy. It identifies three types of stakeholders - legitimate, vested, and opportunist - and discusses assumptions around changing perspectives on energy. The document advocates for shared success and community building. It also notes there are many causes of social friction and asks readers to consider what they value in terms of energy production and distribution models. The document provides advice on raising standards, understanding different perspectives, and establishing principles and tools to facilitate participation and reduce conflicts between communities and developers in the green energy sector.

1. Getting to the root of social friction
Opportunities in the new green energy economy
Kristopher Stevens
Executive Director
February 27, 2013

2. Three types of concerned
stakeholders
legitimate
vested
opportunist

3. Assumptions

4. A change in how we see the world
EnergyAdvocate.ca, 2009 –St-Jean de Brebeuf CHS, Vaughan, Ontario 4

5. A change in scale and distribution
Preben Maegaard, 2010 – Nordik Folkecenter, Denmark 5

6. Shared adversity and success build
community
M’Chigeeng First Nation built small solar projects first and
then two 2MW windmills!
The Mother Earth Renewable Energy project will generate
$300,000 over 14 years and then $1.2 million for 6 years
Kristopher Stevens, M’Chigeeng First Nation, 2012 – http://go.ontario-sea.org/MChigeengWind 6

7. There are a lot of causes of social friction
Image by K. Stevens, 2008 - http://tinyurl.com/3omev8o

8. What do you value?
Do you want to be a Prosumer?
Local vs. Foreign ownership/control/benefit
Centralized vs. Distributed
Consumptive vs. Renewable
Centralized vs decentralized energy webinar – http://go.ontario-sea.org/centralized-vs-decentralized-energy-webinar
Image by Preben Maegaard, 2010 – Nordik Folkecenter, Denmark 8

9. Think about how you would like to
participate…
Sherry Arnstein, 1969 – Ladder of Citizen Participation 9

10. Raise the bar for the lowest denominator
Be explicit
• Be principle centered not rules centered
• Create certainty to reduce risk/costs
• Make it easy for people to participate
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11. Take time to understand each other
Communities are: Developers are:
•Concerned •Disengaged
•Frustrated •Divisive
•Annoyed •Secretive
•Fearful •Non-transparent
•Suspicious •Distrust
•Misinformed •Ignoring (legitimate
concerns)
Panel at FIT Supply Chain Forum, 2012 – Toronto, Ontario Canada 11

12. Be principle centered not rules centered
• Talk, talk, talk, try, talk and try some more
• Give communities influence and benefit
• Require a land pooling/collaborative land lease
• 3rd party developers/municipal negotiation forum
• Prescribed stakeholder engagement format
• Require that communities get a minimum stake
in projects and provide them tools (ie. Loan
guarantee) to enable participation
• Establish a broadly endorsed (and required)
community engagement code of conduct
• Expand municipal guide into a consultation and
partnership roadmap/toolkit for communities

13. Community Community
“Has” “Needs”
A focus on improving the quality of life of through energy services (not
just electricity generation or infrastructure)
A clear vision, mission and goals for the political, bureaucratic and
business strategies and the entities responsible for their delivery
Clearly defined, understood and supported guiding principles
A desire to build a successful for-profit or not-for-profit business that
can compete and succeed in the energy sector
A streamlined bureaucracy for dealing with political and business
decisions based on agreed principles, vision and mission
Conflict resolution mechanisms
Effective internal communication tools
Effective external communication tools
Trust of the Mayor and council
Trust of the community
Trust of your team
Trust of your partners (they have done their due diligence)
Completed due diligence on your partners
Assessment of the resources of the communities and region
A plan to build human capacity
A plan to build incremental experience
A plan to grow equity
A plan to gain access to debt and for repayment
Identified “fatal flaws” that could lead to failure
A well plotted critical path with clearly defines milestones to check in at
to test the risk threshold of current and future decision points (monitor 3
steps ahead at each check point)
Alternate plans identified in case the primary plan or strategies need to
be abandoned
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14. Set up a way to deal with conflict and
remember we need everyone
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15. Keep in touch and join us!
http://www.all-energy.ca
http://www.ontario-sea.org
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