Abstract
We pose that instead of problematizing negative attitudes of local stakeholders, such as citizens and NGOs, wind energy implementers should be more focused on scrutinizing the acceptability of their projects. The emphasis in this study is on the potential for representation of local stakeholders’ values in the project design, including amongst others business model and placement. Informed by value sensitive design literature, we analyzed two contrasting, locally-owned wind projects in the Dutch province of Groningen: the implementation of mini-turbines in a national landscape and a large-scale multi MW wind project in an industrialized area close to a World Heritage nature reserve. The study analyses how the respective farmer-developers and other local stakeholders attempted to resolve or ameliorate inter- and intra-value conflicts regarding livability, economy, landscape, and nature. The value conflicts turned out to be fruitful to identifying key issues and creating more widely shared value conceptualizations and design priorities. Hence, from this study it can be concluded that value conflict can be productive if carefully unpacked and managed. Uneven power distribution among stakeholders in the planning process, overcoming incommensurability of perspectives, and creating intersubjectivity remain challenges.
Highlights
In many European countries’ energy policies, wind energy is an important means for realizing a transition to a sustainable energy system
We show how and what values were included in the development process of the studied wind projects in Middag-Humsterland and the Oostpolder
We analyzed how a large-scale and a small-scale farmer-owned wind project were scrutinized by local residents and other stakeholders in the area
Summary
In many European countries’ energy policies, wind energy is an important means for realizing a transition to a sustainable energy system. We pose that resistance due to perceived unfavourability of outcome should no longer be dismissed as selfish not-in-my-backyard motives [10], but as an impetus to look at wind energy implementation more holistically, take the local context into consideration [11], and strive for better alignment between wind projects and their implementation environment [13] Such alignment between the interests of turbine developers and other local stakeholders could lead to the design of more desirable, and so more acceptable, wind projects. We are interested in analyzing how acceptability can be realized through a process of embedding outcome-related values of local stakeholders in the design of a wind project.
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