Renewable Energy and Social Infrastructure: A Preliminary Study of the POWERE Project in South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Summary

Community-based renewable energy initiatives depend not only on technological systems but also on the social infrastructures that support them. Yet we still know little about how this infrastructure functions in practice, or how it shapes innovation, sustainability, and everyday life in communities. This study examines the diverse forms of social infrastructure that have emerged in the POWERE project areas in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork at multiple POWERE project sites, combined with insights from the literature on renewable energy and social infrastructure, this initial research explores how local culture, institutions, and collective practices influence the ways renewable energy technologies are understood, adopted, and adapted. Initial findings indicate that social infrastructures are not uniform but contextually constructed, with each form carrying different implications for inclusivity, resilience, and the ability of environmental technologies to generate broader social benefits. By highlighting the dynamic and locally embedded nature of social infrastructure, this study underscores the importance of designing renewable energy initiatives that not only improve technical viability but are also socially viable to promote long-term sustainability.