On 12 May, during Tilburg University’s Night University festival, ENPOWER joined forces with the Number 5 Foundation to host an interactive workshop on the social dimensions of the energy transition in the Netherlands. Facilitated by Wessel Ganzenvoort of the Tilburg University Academic Collaborative Center for Energy and Climate, the session brought together researchers, community partners and members of the public for an open conversation on fairness, inclusion and vulnerability in a changing energy system.
The workshop focused on questions that are increasingly relevant across Europe, such as who benefits from the energy transition, and who risks being left behind. Participants discussed rising gas prices, grid congestion and the expansion of heat networks, while reflecting on the fact that energy poverty is not limited to traditionally recognised groups. Students, elderly people living alone, residents of trailer parks and households in poorly insulated accommodation were all highlighted as examples of people who may face new forms of energy vulnerability.
What made the session especially powerful was its mix of academic insight and lived experience. Through discussion, documentary excerpts and spoken word performances, participants shared personal stories and reflected on how energy stress affects everyday life. The workshop also explored who should carry responsibility for addressing these challenges, from governments and municipalities to energy companies, housing corporations, universities and citizens themselves.
By creating space for dialogue between research and society, the workshop reflected ENPOWER’s wider mission: to better understand energy poverty and support energy transitions that are not only sustainable, but also socially just and inclusive.
