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Place-making and trust-building: The influence of policy on host community responses to wind farms

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  • Fast, Stewart
  • Mabee, Warren

Abstract

This article assesses the impact of wind energy policy choices on host community responses. Two key explanations (place-making and trust-building) for host community responses are identified from the substantial social science literature investigating local community reaction to wind farms. The relationship between these two key factors and policy choices is explored through a comparative case study of five wind farms during a time of major policy change in Ontario, Canada. These five wind projects are all located within a 50km of each other but are built under different policy regimes, with different ownership arrangements and are of different sizes. They provide a basis to assess the impact of three specific policy elements – approval authority, community benefit arrangements and spatial restrictions of turbine placement – on the place-making and trust-building potential of wind projects in the host communities. We identify a wide range of interactions and conclude that the policy choice to elevate project approval to a central authority has had the most damaging effect.

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  • Fast, Stewart & Mabee, Warren, 2015. "Place-making and trust-building: The influence of policy on host community responses to wind farms," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 27-37.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:81:y:2015:i:c:p:27-37
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2015.02.008
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    8. Guanghui Hou & Tong Chen & Ke Ma & Zhiming Liao & Hongmei Xia & Tianzeng Yao, 2019. "Improving Social Acceptance of Waste-to-Energy Incinerators in China: Role of Place Attachment, Trust, and Fairness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-22, March.
    9. Rohe, Sebastian & Chlebna, Camilla, 2021. "A spatial perspective on the legitimacy of a technological innovation system: Regional differences in onshore wind energy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
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    11. Beauson, J. & Laurent, A. & Rudolph, D.P. & Pagh Jensen, J., 2022. "The complex end-of-life of wind turbine blades: A review of the European context," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    12. Copena, Damián & Simón, Xavier, 2018. "Wind farms and payments to landowners: Opportunities for rural development for the case of Galicia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 38-47.
    13. Thapar, Sapan & Sharma, Seema & Verma, Ashu, 2017. "Local community as shareholders in clean energy projects: Innovative strategy for accelerating renewable energy deployment in India," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 873-885.
    14. Stewart Fast, 2017. "Assessing public participation tools during wind energy siting," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 7(3), pages 386-393, September.
    15. Stewart Fast, 2015. "Qualified, absolute, idealistic, impatient: dimensions of host community responses to wind energy projects," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 47(7), pages 1540-1557, July.
    16. Leer Jørgensen, Marie & Anker, Helle Tegner & Lassen, Jesper, 2020. "Distributive fairness and local acceptance of wind turbines: The role of compensation schemes," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    17. Zerrahn, Alexander, 2017. "Wind Power and Externalities," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 245-260.
    18. Windemer, Rebecca, 2023. "Acceptance should not be assumed. How the dynamics of social acceptance changes over time, impacting onshore wind repowering," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    19. Diana Caporale & Caterina De Lucia & Luigi dell’Olio & Pasquale Pazienza, 2024. "Policy insights for wind energy from a choice experiment stated preference efficient design in Apulia region (Italy)," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 41(3), pages 963-995, October.
    20. Sonnberger, Marco & Ruddat, Michael, 2017. "Local and socio-political acceptance of wind farms in Germany," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 56-65.
    21. Devine-Wright, Patrick & Peacock, Adam, 2024. "Putting energy infrastructure into place: A systematic review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    22. Heather Millar & Matthew Lesch & Linda A. White, 2019. "Connecting models of the individual and policy change processes: a research agenda," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 52(1), pages 97-118, March.
    23. Zander, Kerstin K. & Mathur, Deepika & Mathew, Supriya & Garnett, Stephen T., 2024. "Public views about the world's largest proposed solar farm in remote Australia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    24. Vallecha, Harshit & Bhattacharjee, Debraj & Osiri, John Kalu & Bhola, Prabha, 2021. "Evaluation of barriers and enablers through integrative multicriteria decision mapping: Developing sustainable community energy in Indian context," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    25. Erika Christie Berle, 2024. "Spinning Stories: Wind Turbines and Local Narrative Landscapes in Germany," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2438, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Nov 2024.

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