Ontological Security and the Narration of Energy in the European Union

It is only in the last decade that concrete steps have been taken to develop a common and comprehensive approach to energy amongst the 28 (27) member states. It is no coincidence that this attempt to move beyond national borders to address energy questions has come at the same time that the narrative about energy has moved from one rooted in security to one about transition, alternative futures and sustainability. The research will use the notion of ontological security to frame our understanding of how narratives of energy have changed in the EU, from stories about security to those of transition and sustainability. It is a post- and transnational political space, eschewing the modern constructions of state and nation in an attempt to find ways to solve common problems and issues. It raises the question of how a political community that does not have thick forms of belonging looks to shaping a common understanding of energy. The research will explore what kinds of narratives about energy have been crafted in official discourse as well as counter-narratives that have contested stories of security with those of transition. It wants to explore whether a new narrative for energy has been successful (or not, why and with what possible consequences for energy transitions.