Objective:
If wind power development is thought to contribute to climate emission reduction and energy transitions, there is a need to understand why renewable energy ideals meet local opposition, and if alternative policy frameworks and more democratic planning practices could improve policy legitimacy – and as such social acceptability of wind power development. The project critically explores current wind power development in Norway between policies, planning rationalities and local community understandings, and analyzes how existing arenas for public participation are framed, filled, opened and closed in national policy discourses and in actual case studies of wind power planning. To understand the dynamics of social acceptability, the project learns from policy development in EU, UK and DK as well as case studies in Denmark and Scotland where different policy trajectories and experimental approaches to wind power development have developed high social acceptability. The findings form basis for a collaborative research dialogue workshop with policy-makers developers, local officials and citizens from DK, Scotland and Norway exploring new potential conceptual models for public participation in Norwegian wind power development.
Expected outcome:
The aim of WINDPLAN is to broaden our understanding of current wind power development conflicts in Norway. In doing so, the project aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of discursive, material and processual aspects of current wind power development conflicts in Norway, in a comparative perspective with Scotland and Denmark.
The project began June 2018 and run until April 2022.
Total project budget: 7.07 mio. DKK.