IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/renene/v220y2024ics0960148123013009.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Spatial context matters: Assessing how future renewable energy pathways will impact nature and society

Author

Listed:
  • Delafield, Gemma
  • Smith, Greg S.
  • Day, Brett
  • Holland, Robert A.
  • Donnison, Caspar
  • Hastings, Astley
  • Taylor, Gail
  • Owen, Nathan
  • Lovett, Andrew

Abstract

Pathways to decarbonisation are commonly explored by government and industry through the use of energy system models. However, such models rarely consider where new energy infrastructure might be located. This is problematic as the spatial context of new renewable energy infrastructure will determine, in part, the environmental, social, and technical impacts of the energy transition. This paper presents the ADVENT-NEV model which brings together innovations in energy and natural capital modelling to identify the optimal locations of multiple renewable energy technologies at a national scale and high spatial resolution. Using Great Britain as a case study, the results show how the spatial distribution of renewable energy technologies changes when a natural capital approach is taken. In particular, the least-cost locations for onshore wind farms and bioenergy crops are highly influenced by the value of carbon sequestration, or emissions associated with their land use change. Siting using a natural capital approach produced appreciable ecosystem service benefits, such that the overall welfare gain to society was estimated at nearly £25 B. Overall, this paper demonstrates that understanding the geospatial context of the energy transition is essential to identifying which renewable energy pathways are consistent with decarbonisation and environmental objectives.

Suggested Citation

  • Delafield, Gemma & Smith, Greg S. & Day, Brett & Holland, Robert A. & Donnison, Caspar & Hastings, Astley & Taylor, Gail & Owen, Nathan & Lovett, Andrew, 2024. "Spatial context matters: Assessing how future renewable energy pathways will impact nature and society," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:220:y:2024:i:c:s0960148123013009
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2023.119385
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148123013009
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.renene.2023.119385?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Francesco Fuso Nerini & Julia Tomei & Long Seng To & Iwona Bisaga & Priti Parikh & Mairi Black & Aiduan Borrion & Catalina Spataru & Vanesa Castán Broto & Gabrial Anandarajah & Ben Milligan & Yacob Mu, 2018. "Mapping synergies and trade-offs between energy and the Sustainable Development Goals," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 3(1), pages 10-15, January.
    2. H. W. Kuhn, 1955. "The Hungarian method for the assignment problem," Naval Research Logistics Quarterly, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 2(1‐2), pages 83-97, March.
    3. Stuart E. Dreyfus, 1969. "An Appraisal of Some Shortest-Path Algorithms," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 17(3), pages 395-412, June.
    4. Price, James & Zeyringer, Marianne & Konadu, Dennis & Sobral Mourão, Zenaida & Moore, Andy & Sharp, Ed, 2018. "Low carbon electricity systems for Great Britain in 2050: An energy-land-water perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 928-941.
    5. Kontogianni, A. & Tourkolias, Ch. & Skourtos, M. & Damigos, D., 2014. "Planning globally, protesting locally: Patterns in community perceptions towards the installation of wind farms," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 170-177.
    6. van Haaren, Rob & Fthenakis, Vasilis, 2011. "GIS-based wind farm site selection using spatial multi-criteria analysis (SMCA): Evaluating the case for New York State," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(7), pages 3332-3340, September.
    7. Konadu, D. Dennis & Mourão, Zenaida Sobral & Allwood, Julian M. & Richards, Keith S. & Kopec, Grant & McMahon, Richard & Fenner, Richard, 2015. "Land use implications of future energy system trajectories—The case of the UK 2050 Carbon Plan," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 328-337.
    8. Lehmann, Paul & Reutter, Felix & Tafarte, Philip, 2023. "Optimal siting of onshore wind turbines: Local disamenities matter," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    9. Hooper, Tara & Austen, Melanie C. & Beaumont, Nicola & Heptonstall, Philip & Holland, Robert A. & Ketsopoulou, Ioanna & Taylor, Gail & Watson, Jim & Winskel, Mark, 2018. "Do energy scenarios pay sufficient attention to the environment? Lessons from the UK to support improved policy outcomes," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 397-408.
    10. Martin Drechsler & Jonas Egerer & Martin Lange & Frank Masurowski & Jürgen Meyerhoff & Malte Oehlmann, 2017. "Efficient and equitable spatial allocation of renewable power plants at the country scale," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 2(9), pages 1-9, September.
    11. Martin D. Heintzelman & Carrie M. Tuttle, 2012. "Values in the Wind: A Hedonic Analysis of Wind Power Facilities," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 88(3), pages 571-588.
    12. Ian J. Bateman & Georgina M. Mace, 2020. "The natural capital framework for sustainably efficient and equitable decision making," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 3(10), pages 776-783, October.
    13. Breeze, T.D. & Bailey, A.P. & Potts, S.G. & Balcombe, K.G., 2015. "A stated preference valuation of the non-market benefits of pollination services in the UK," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 76-85.
    14. Stanley W. Hamilton & Gregory M. Schwann, 1995. "Do High Voltage Electric Transmission Lines Affect Property Value?," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 71(4), pages 436-444.
    15. Welfle, Andrew & Gilbert, Paul & Thornley, Patricia, 2014. "Securing a bioenergy future without imports," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 1-14.
    16. Holland, Robert A. & Beaumont, Nicola & Hooper, Tara & Austen, Melanie & Gross, Robert J.K. & Heptonstall, Philip J. & Ketsopoulou, Ioanna & Winskel, Mark & Watson, Jim & Taylor, Gail, 2018. "Incorporating ecosystem services into the design of future energy systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 812-822.
    17. Day, Brett & Bateman, Ian & Binner, Amy & Ferrini, Silvia & Fezzi, Carlo, 2019. "Structurally-consistent estimation of use and nonuse values for landscape-wide environmental change," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    18. Lucas W. Davis, 2011. "The Effect of Power Plants on Local Housing Values and Rents," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 93(4), pages 1391-1402, November.
    19. Drechsler, Martin & Ohl, Cornelia & Meyerhoff, Jürgen & Eichhorn, Marcus & Monsees, Jan, 2011. "Combining spatial modeling and choice experiments for the optimal spatial allocation of wind turbines," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 3845-3854, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gemma Delafield & Greg S. Smith & Brett Day & Robert Holland & Andrew Lovett, 2024. "The Financial and Environmental Consequences of Renewable Energy Exclusion Zones," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 87(2), pages 369-398, February.
    2. Guillot, Victor & Siggini, Gildas & Assoumou, Edi, 2023. "Interactions between land and grid development in the transition to a decarbonized European power system," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    3. Lehmann, Paul & Tafarte, Philip, 2024. "Exclusion zones for renewable energy deployment: One man’s blessing, another man’s curse," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    4. Welsch, Heinz, 2016. "Electricity Externalities, Siting, and the Energy Mix: A Survey," International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics, now publishers, vol. 10(1), pages 57-94, November.
    5. Lehmann, Paul & Reutter, Felix & Tafarte, Philip, 2023. "Optimal siting of onshore wind turbines: Local disamenities matter," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    6. Russell McKenna & Stefan Pfenninger & Heidi Heinrichs & Johannes Schmidt & Iain Staffell & Katharina Gruber & Andrea N. Hahmann & Malte Jansen & Michael Klingler & Natascha Landwehr & Xiaoli Guo Lars', 2021. "Reviewing methods and assumptions for high-resolution large-scale onshore wind energy potential assessments," Papers 2103.09781, arXiv.org.
    7. McKenna, Russell & Pfenninger, Stefan & Heinrichs, Heidi & Schmidt, Johannes & Staffell, Iain & Bauer, Christian & Gruber, Katharina & Hahmann, Andrea N. & Jansen, Malte & Klingler, Michael & Landwehr, 2022. "High-resolution large-scale onshore wind energy assessments: A review of potential definitions, methodologies and future research needs," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 659-684.
    8. Lena I. Fuldauer & Scott Thacker & Robyn A. Haggis & Francesco Fuso-Nerini & Robert J. Nicholls & Jim W. Hall, 2022. "Targeting climate adaptation to safeguard and advance the Sustainable Development Goals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, December.
    9. Salomon, Hannes & Drechsler, Martin & Reutter, Felix, 2020. "Minimum distances for wind turbines: A robustness analysis of policies for a sustainable wind power deployment," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    10. Krekel, Christian & Zerrahn, Alexander, 2017. "Does the presence of wind turbines have negative externalities for people in their surroundings? Evidence from well-being data," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 221-238.
    11. Zerrahn, Alexander & Krekel, Christian, 2015. "Sowing the Wind and Reaping the Whirlwind? The Effect of Wind Turbines on Residential Well-Being," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 112956, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    12. Lehmann, Paul & Tafarte, Philip, 2023. "The opportunity costs of environmental exclusion zones for renewable energy deployment," UFZ Discussion Papers 2/2023, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Division of Social Sciences (ÖKUS).
    13. Olivier JOALLAND & Tina RAMBONILAZA, 2017. "Assessing the impact of renewable energy infrastructure on the “tourist value” in rural landscapes: a spatial hedonic approach," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2017-10, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    14. Tafarte, Philip & Lehmann, Paul, 2023. "Quantifying trade-offs for the spatial allocation of onshore wind generation capacity – A case study for Germany," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    15. Tafarte, Philip & Lehmann, Paul, 2021. "Quantifying trade-offs for the spatial allocation of onshore wind generation capacity: A case study for Germany," UFZ Discussion Papers 2/2021, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Division of Social Sciences (ÖKUS).
    16. Lucija Muehlenbachs & Elisheba Spiller & Christopher Timmins, 2012. "Shale Gas Development and Property Values: Differences across Drinking Water Sources," NBER Working Papers 18390, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Carr-Harris, Andrew & Lang, Corey, 2019. "Sustainability and tourism: the effect of the United States’ first offshore wind farm on the vacation rental market," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 51-67.
    18. Richard J. Vyn & Ryan M. McCullough, 2014. "The Effects of Wind Turbines on Property Values in Ontario: Does Public Perception Match Empirical Evidence?," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 62(3), pages 365-392, September.
    19. Wang, Ni & Verzijlbergh, Remco A. & Heijnen, Petra W. & Herder, Paulien M., 2023. "Incorporating indirect costs into energy system optimization models: Application to the Dutch national program Regional Energy Strategies," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    20. Zerrahn, Alexander, 2017. "Wind Power and Externalities," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 245-260.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:220:y:2024:i:c:s0960148123013009. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.