Theexpansion of wind power in Sweden is a necessary condition to reach the national setemissiontargetsby 2045.Today, industry and domestic transport account for about one-third each of Sweden’s total emissions. Reducing the emissions from these sectors requires extensive electrification.
Even though it seems like Sweden hasgood chancesto become world-leading in the transitionto a low-carbon economythe process to expand wind power production is not as thriving as one may think. One strong reason behind this is the lack of social acceptance.
Although the public support is relativelyhigh,experiences show that theenergy transition is causingvariousconsequences for local communitiesand socioeconomic groups where the development takes place.
In this paper wetherefore examine factors affectingas well as increasingsocial acceptance to highlightthe social context of the energy transition.Social acceptance is influenced by a wide and complex set of factors between individuals, communities, wind energy operators, and regulatory regimes at a variety of geographical scales.
Besides the municipalveto,which is the most common reason why wind power projectsare rejected,social acceptance depends on justice issues, democratic participation, sound annoyance, visual aspects, and environmental concerns. Considering justice issues, thegapbetween cost and benefits is more decisivethan the “not in my backyard” attitude.When community concerns are removed rather than addressed the interaction gets less meaningful.
Visual and sound annoyance is often based on deeper senses of identity and connections, andenvironmental concerns could both be an expression of support and scepticism. In sum, all these factors are context-specific and should neither be understood as universal nor complete.
Toincreasesocial acceptance ofwind power expansion decision-makersmust consider planning processes,compensationmeasures,and ownership structures. First of all, trust is key in the process of wind power expansion.For aplanning process to become meaningful, openness andopportunity for participants to definethe processes, as well as outcomes,arerequired.
In this sense, decision-makers cannot assume that certain participants are wrong or less legitimate. Secondly, with more systematic financial compensation,the gap between those who benefit and those who get affected by the wind power expansioncan be reduced. This is especially important in the Swedish context wherearise of populist movementscan be seen.
Lastly, there is a need to examine possible ways to reform ownership structures of wind power. This is something that has been proven fruitful in other countries where wind power expansion has been successful.
2023.