Community Energy Planning in Remote Indigenous Communities: A Case Study with Eabametoong First Nation

Abstract

Remote and diesel-dependent Indigenous communities have attracted increasing attention as opportunities for energy transitions to more sustainable and economical technologies. Community energy planning is being increasingly promoted and adopted to enable such transitions, however, there has been limited research exploring this approach outside of the municipal context. This thesis presents a case study in partnership with Eabametoong First Nation that reveals how community energy planning operates in the context of remote Indigenous communities. Specifically, this research explores both community experiences with community energy planning, and the institutional landscape in which this process is positioned. Document analysis, semi-structured interviews, community engagement, and participant observation reveal that community energy planning, as delivered through the institutional landscape, is somewhat aligned with community perspectives, however, further attention to elements such as the geographic, social, and political context of such communities is necessary for this approach to be effective.