Building on an existing campaign to introduce democracy to Greater Manchester’s energy supply, Carbon Coop became in 2018 the key delivery partners in a cross-sector action research project, provocatively entitled The People’s Republic of Energy. Participants came from across local government, unions, electricity suppliers, as well as campaign organisations, think-tanks, universities, and social enterprise. With creative guidance from theatrical artist Britt Jurgensen, the action researchers mapped Greater Manchester’s energy system, visited an electricity substation, and prepared a series of exploratory walks – taking stakeholders on a tour of Greater Manchester’s energy history. Examples of best practice in energy governance from around the world were compiled to form GM Energy Futures, the imagined prospectus of a democratically-managed municipal energy company from 2020 to 2035 – distributed at the city-region’s first Green Summit. Power in the City walks re-ran in 2019, responding to repeated requests.