CFP: Energy Ethics 2026: Infrastructures of Energy

EE2026: Infrastructures of Energy | 4-6 Aug 2026 | St Andrews & Online

Call for panel abstracts is now OPEN

In 2016, we organised the conference “Energy Ethics 2016”, which was held in St Andrews and brought together scholars across humanities and social sciences. The conference invited contributors to consider the ethical underpinnings, dilemmas, and questions that arise in energy systems and practices. The resulting Special Issues highlighted the capacious ways that consumers, producers, and critics made ethical judgements about these energy systems and practices. The publications also encouraged scholars to be conscious of how their own moral imaginations shaped their research practices.

Much has changed since 2016. Energy transitions have become commonplace and intensely debated, spurred by the climate crisis, national policymaking, and massive public and private investment. There is a growing critical engagement with renewables, due to their continued reliance on resources, capitalist circuits of investment, and links to mining via the critical minerals they require. The political positionings of anthropologists have also become stronger, perhaps related to heightening political polarisation, the vulnerabilities laid bare by Covid-19, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the enrolment of social scientists into large energy infrastructure projects, popularist politics, and much more. Recognising infrastructures of energy’s extensive and multi-dimensional entanglements in contemporary life, it is ever-more urgent that we reflect on our interlocutors’ and our own ethical imaginations and politics of energy.

For EE2026, we welcome panel abstracts that address topics related to infrastructures of energy, such as: public planning and taxation; governmentality and responsibilisation; prediction and forecasting; expertise, scientism and epistemes of facts; commons and collectives; risks and insurance; moral epistemology and climate ethics; affect and qualia; trust and mistrust; security and securities; war and conflict; crisis, hope and despair; debt and liabilities; fuel poverty and structural inequalities; justice; contracts; corporate techniques of accountability; humans and nonhumans; environment, social, and governance (ESG); co-benefits and biodiversity; work; digitalisation; materiality; artificial intelligence and automation; assets and assetisation; financialisation and quantification; and growth and degrowth.

Deadline for panel abstracts: 5 May 2025

We invite panel abstracts for two types of panel sessions:

• Long Panel Sessions
  These sessions will be 3-hour sessions with an additional 30-minute mid-session coffee break, and we would expect to have between two (long papers) and six (short papers) presentations, discussants and Q&A in these sessions
• Short Panel Sessions
  These sessions will be 1.5-hour sessions with no mid-session break. We would expect to have between one (long paper) and four (short papers) presentations, discussants and Q&A in these sessions

At the time of submission, the panel abstracts must name two convenors to chair the proposed panel. This is to avoid panels being cancelled if one convenor is unable to attend on the scheduled day and time. 

The panel abstracts must also include a list of the committed paper presenters, including any discussants. Panel abstracts should also specify whether presentations will be in-person, virtual, or include a combination.

Hybrid and Virtual Sessions

We are committed to making EE2026 as inclusive and widely accessible as possible. As such, we encourage hybrid and virtual panels. Virtual panels will be hosted via our bespoke conference app, which will help the integration of in-person and online participation.

Panel Convenor Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of convenors to communicate with the panel members whether their panel has been accepted or not accepted.

It is also convenors’ responsibility to ensure that all panel participants are aware of how much time they have been allocated, remind participants to register to attend the conference, and communicate with the conference organisers about any withdrawals or panel changes.

Lastly, it is convenors’ responsibility to arrive at their panel location at least 10 minutes prior, ensure panel participants arrive prior to the start of their panel, ensure time keeping during the panel, and chair the Q&A.

How to Submit Panel Abstracts

All panel abstracts should be emailed to [email protected] no later than 5 May 2025 at 23.59 (UK time).

Prospective panel convenors will be notified if their panel abstracts have been accepted from 26 May 2025.

Submissions should contain:

• Panel title
• Names and email addresses of panel convenors
• Specify whether you propose a Long or Short Panel Session
• Specify the desired panel mode (in person, virtual or hybrid)
• List of paper presenters (name, affiliation, title of proposed presentation) and any discussants (name, affiliation)
• Panel abstract:
  • Short panels (max 300 words)
  • Long panels (max 500 words) including a brief discussion of its contribution to the field.
• Submissions should be in .docx (Word compatible) format if possible.

If you have any questions about the submission process, please email us at [email protected]

Registration

We expect registration to open in May 2025. Fees will be as follows:

• Regular In-Person Delegate for all 3 days: £120
• In-Person Undergraduate/Masters/Doctoral/Unwaged Delegate for all 3 days: £60
• Virtual Delegate for all 3 days: £50

In-person delegate fees include lunch and coffee breaks for each day.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to register for low-cost conference accommodation at the University (from £65/night incl. breakfast) when they register for the conference as well as optional dinner with ceilidh, evening events, and pre-conference activities. The accommodation is within easy reach of the conference venue.

Calls for Paper Abstracts

We first invite panel abstracts. Once this call has been completed, we will open a subsequent call for individual paper abstracts.

We can’t wait to see you in August 2026.

All the very best,

The EE2026 Team