Can the Energy Union Deliver Energy Justice?

The Energy Union signals political recognition of social justice issues, including affordability of energy services. This signals a shift in EU energy and climate change policies, away from neoliberal market reforms and towards a more explicit focus on societies’ ability to afford energy services. This paper examines how new energy justice concepts align with the three-pillar energy policy of the EU (security of supply, competitiveness, and sustainability). Despite the EU’s strong institutional structure (ACER, ETS, DG Energy and DG Environment), greater integration and alignment of energy and climate policy may falter due to differing financial and political incentives in some Member States. Market integration and deployment of high levels of renewable energy technologies, may clash with efforts to lower final consumer energy bills. The goals of the 2030 Framework, and the practical principles of the ‘State of the Energy Union 2015’, and the associated three pillars, will be compared and assessed against the identified three core tenets of energy justice (distributive, procedural and recognition). Energy justice holds the potential to highlight a clash with existing and on-going goals and reforms. This article provides both a theoretical and policy relevant discussion of energy justice framed within the goals of the Energy Union.