A group of Scottish institutions, including the University of Aberdeen, have banded together to explore the impact that the energy transition has had on coastal communities.
The TRANSitions in Energy for Coastal communities over Time and Space (TRANSECTS) project will seek to explore lessons from the past that can help coastal communities to cope with the shift to renewable energy. Led by Heriot-Watt University, it will look into past transitions, such as the use of whale oil for lighting in the 1800s, through to the production of oil and gas from the North Sea in the 1970s, all with the aim of bolstering coastal communities’ resilience to respond to changes in energy production.
It was noted how the previous energy transitions have resulted in profound environmental and socio-cultural changes for local communities because of their “boom-and-bust nature”. With much analysis to date having been centered on technical and economic criteria, research into environmental, social, cultural and institution impacts has been lacking, as has whether transitions are just – something the TRANSECTS project will now look to change.
Funded through the Resilient Coastal Communities and Seas Programme, the project will also involve the University of Highlands and Islands, University of Strathclyde and University of Hull, along with industry partners including Daryl Burton and stakeholders from government, marine management and offshore energy. One of three case studies will focus on the east coast of Scotland, with researchers blending scientific data on the impacts of past energy transitions on factors including migration and employment through to mental and physical health with testimony and archive material, building a comprehensive picture of the “human side of the energy transition”. Case studies will also look into the Humber in England and the Orkney Islands.
