TY - JOUR
TI - Wind energy in the city: An interurban comparison of social acceptance of wind energy projects
AU - Khorsand, I
AU - Kormos, C
AU - MacDonald, E
AU - Crawford, C
T2 - Energy Research & Social Science
AB - A transition towards low-carbon energy sources, such as wind, requires higher levels of public interaction; as such, the ultimate contribution of wind energy relies as much on technological advancements and policies as on societal sentiments. This study evaluates the influence of region, community involvement, and several IEA-recommended practices on social acceptance of wind energy projects among residents (n = 350) surveyed from cities in four OECD and three non-OECD countries. The results indicate interurban variations among the generally high levels of acceptance reported, especially among residents of cities in developing countries with lower domestic CO2 emissions. The level of community involvement in a hypothetical wind energy project had a positive effect on acceptance, and respondents from cities in countries with the highest installed wind capacity reported the greatest sensitivity towards involvement. Moreover, the results revealed that although the IEA-recommended practices collectively predicted acceptance across all cities, fair distribution of earnings and costs was the only significant individual predictor. These economic considerations, combined with increased community involvement, appear to be paramount to facilitating future development of wind energy. Through its broad geographical coverage, this research provides valuable groundwork for future cross-cultural studies on social acceptance of wind energy.
DA - 2015/07//
PY - 2015
VL - 8
SP - 66
EP - 77
UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629615000511
DO - 10.1016/j.erss.2015.04.008
LA - English
KW - Wind Energy
KW - Land-Based Wind
KW - Social & Economic Data
KW - Human Dimensions
ER -