Community-based initiatives for energy access: A qualitative assessment of the processes and outcomes of five implementations in mayotte

Energy Communities (ECs) have become central to contemporary debates on the energy transition as a collective, democratic and bottom-up form of energy governance, yet limited empirical evidence exists on how they develop in low-resource contexts and island settings marked by energy poverty and structural constraints. This article addresses this gap by examining the conditions that enable their successful realization through an in-depth analysis of five EC initiatives implemented in Mayotte with a community-based approach. Drawing on ten semi-structured interviews with community members and stakeholders, the study concentrates on the processes and outcomes of EC implementation. Findings highlight the importance of inclusive participation, adaptive and transparent decision-making, and the influence of cultural and contextual factors in shaping implementation processes. With respect to outcomes, the findings reveal that the implemented ECs generated strong community engagement, empowerment through skills development, and improved access to energy and mobility services, while simultaneously confronted with regulatory complexity, limited technical capacity, and exposure to external shocks. Beyond tracing these conditions, the study provides insights into how participants collectively interpret and negotiate energy transitions in their everyday lives, offering valuable implications for policymakers seeking to design context-sensitive energy interventions. The article concludes by underscoring the need for more comparative research to assess the long-term success, resilience and scalability of community-based energy initiatives in low-resource and vulnerable island settings.