Participatory Budgeting and Energy Transition in Cities: Local Level Challenges and Opportunities

Participatory budgeting has been intensely studied in relation to its functioning, empowerment, and impact on local communities. However, we know very little about the potential of participatory budgeting with respect to energy developments and changes, a perspective which is especially relevant in the context of climate change discussions across the world. This article addresses this gap in the literature and analyzes the extent to which people consider that PB can help with the energy transition in their cities. We use data from semi-structured interviews carried out in four large cities in Romania with different experiences of PB. The results show that many citizens see participatory budgeting as a potential driver for urban energy transition, but not as an autonomous or self-sufficient instrument. Instead, it is regarded as a mechanism whose potential is assisted or constrained by the institutional, financial, technical, and political criteria in which it is embedded.