Annika Marie Hirmke

The energy transition is a global concern due to climate change. Yet, the possibilities for transition are shaped by regional geographies and histories that create complex political landscapes. In Montana, environmental organizers have pushed for community solar projects that would fill a gap in energy supply, be accessible to all community members, and provide cheaper and more sustainable energy. The urgency for this call has picked up recently with escalating electricity costs, higher frequency of extreme weather disrupting the grid, and rising energy demand in the state. While the renewable energy industry in Montana has picked up significant speed in recent years, most projects built end up exporting energy and serving communities outside Montana. Community solar, however, promises accessibility and benefit to the communities in its direct vicinity. My project will investigate these promises through a multi-sited ethnographic study of three existing community solar projects that together provide insight into the solar possibilities in relation to Montana’s historical and geographical construction and larger regional and global energy transition processes. The project asks how energy, community, and place are co-produced and how these solar projects mediate ecological and political transformation.