« Tout a commencé un soir de tempête. » Chroniques géolégales du contentieux énergétique sur l’île de Sein

Résumé :

Cet article analyse un cas inédit de rapport de pouvoir dans la transition énergétique française à travers le contentieux portant sur la concession de distribution d’électricité de l’île de Sein. A partir de 2016, une société citoyenne locale marque un tournant dans l’avancement d’arguments contestant l’exclusivisme du monopole de l’opérateur historique dans cette zone non interconnectée (ZNI) suite aux blocages exprimés lors de sa demande d’accès au réseau pour développer les énergies renouvelables (EnR) sur l’île. Le cas interroge : comment expliquer l’ampleur du contentieux et comment le droit sert-il d’instrument de pouvoir pour mettre en œuvre la transition énergétique ? Sur la base d’une enquête de terrain géo-légale menée en 2024, l’article présente trois dynamiques de pouvoir. D’abord, la matérialité des EnR redistribue les points stratégiques du système électrique, faisant du réseau un espace clé à contrôler. Dans un mouvement de transfert réciproque, spatialité énergétique (des EnR en ZNI) et normes (situation dérogatoire de monopole) se co-constituent. Ensuite, le droit est un levier central d’action mais aussi de hiérarchisation des pouvoirs entre acteurs. Enfin, le cas interroge la justice énergétique : la situation monopolistique héritée est-elle efficace dans un contexte de transition urgente aux renouvelables ? Quelle est la place pour de nouveaux imaginaires électriques ? Cette recherche éclaire des résistances politiques et réglementaires à une décentralisation électrique. Elle contribue aux débats sur la justice énergétique et la transformation des rapports de pouvoir socio-spatiaux dans la transition et propose des pistes pour saisir en géographie politique le rôle croissant du droit dans les dynamiques énergétiques.

Résumé en anglais :

This article presents a geolegal analysis of a unique energy transition controversy on Sein island in French Brittany, centred on the first-ever rejection of the traditional electricity distribution system in order to propel a faster transition to renewable sources. In 2013, a citizen-owned company challenged the monopoly of the historical operator of the island's electricity concession to end the island's dependence on oil after repeated but unsuccessful requests to the operator since the 1990s. The island of Sein, located off the coast of Finistère, is a non-interconnected zone, which justifies that a single company has an integrated monopoly on energy supply. The citizen-led company sought not only to generate renewable energy but also to secure access to the grid to manage the balance between supply and demand – a crucial challenge given the intermittent nature of renewable energy. Following a refusal from the historical company, tensions escalated and eventually led to an unprecedented legal dispute. The case, which extended far beyond the island's small territory, took on national and European political significance. The dispute became a subversive act, challenging established political and energy models and forcing a renegotiation of powers over the distribution network. The article addresses two questions: how can the scope and intensity of the dispute be explained, and in what ways does law operate as an instrument of power in the implementation of the energy transition? To answer these questions, it builds on a dual theoretical framework that brings the geolegal literature into dialogue with material politics. In doing so, the article contributes to expanding geolegal scholarship toward socio-technical issues such as energy, while also reflecting on how recent geolegal developments invite a renewed and deepened interrogation of law within political geography. Drawing on a fieldwork conducted in the summer of 2024 (comprising 9 interviews and a week of non-participant observation), this paper explores three central tensions in the construction of energy spatialities. First, it argues that the material characteristics of decentralised, intermittent energy reshape strategic control points within energy systems, positioning the shared distribution network and the related balancing of supply and demand as a central site of power struggles - an issue largely unexplored by geographers. Second, the paper highlights the importance of studying the legal frameworks that give rise to new power hierarchies between actors. Finally, from an energy justice perspective, the case calls into question the legitimacy of vertically integrated monopolies and the resistances to centralised governance. The study shows how law and jurisdictional scales become tools for shaping local resistance. By using European law, local actors challenge historically dominant structures. Beyond the French case, Sein Island highlights the strategic nature of multi-scalar energy governance. This complex interplay of interests reveals the power relations that shape the dynamics of energy transitions across Europe and the trade-offs that can emerge from them. The case is particularly significant as it provides a rare example of a major political and regulatory resistance to electrical decentralization. It contributes to debates on energy justice and the transformation of socio-spatial power relations in the transition, while also providing insights into seizing the growing role of law in energy dynamics within political geography.