Electricity infrastructure is social

Abstract

Electricity infrastructure is far more than cables, substations and engineering. It is also profoundly social. When electricity fails, its impacts are not experienced equally. Housing conditions, health, age, disability, work, caring responsibilities and social inequality all shape who bears the greatest burden. Infrastructure reflects political choices about investment, resilience and whose needs are prioritised. In this article, I argue that debates on electricity should move beyond technical fixes to include the lived experiences of people and communities. Building resilient infrastructure also means building a more socially just society.