Prevalence and predictors of wind energy opposition in North America

Abstract

Addressing climate change requires societies to transition away from fossil fuels toward low-carbon energy, including renewables. Unfortunately, large wind projects have proven politically controversial, with groups opposing them across advanced economies. To date, there are few large-scale, systematic studies to identify the prevalence and predictors of opposition to wind energy projects. Here, we analyzed a dataset of wind energy projects across the United States and Canada between 2000 and 2016. We found that during this period, in the United States, 17% of wind projects faced significant opposition, and in Canada, 18% faced opposition, with rates in both countries growing over time. Opposition was concentrated regionally in the Northeastern United States and in Ontario, Canada. In both countries, larger projects with more turbines were more likely to be opposed. In the United States, opposition was more likely and more intense in areas with a higher proportion of White people, and a smaller proportion of Hispanic people. In Canada, opposition was more likely and more intense in wealthier communities. The most common tactics used to oppose wind energy were court cases, legislation, and physical protests. The number of people engaging in opposition to wind projects is likely small: Across articles that cited the number of individuals engaging in protests, the median number was 23 in the United States and 34 in Canada. When wealthier, Whiter communities oppose wind projects, this slows down the transition away from fossil fuel projects in poorer communities and communities of color, an environmental injustice we call “energy privilege.”

Winds of Change: Urgent Challenges and Emerging Opportunities in Submerged Prehistory, a Perspective from the North Sea

“…It may also expand the energetic capacity of coastal nations whose potential for onshore energy infrastructure is limited. Recent studies in North America have also linked opposition to wind farm development with variable socio-economic and ethnic privileges [40], revealing that concern over development is a demographically variable phenomenon. Offshore wind farms, by contrast, offer greater opportunity for energy generation [41] from development areas that are largely out of sight and mind to many onshore communities [42], although the impact of offshore developments on natural marine resources as well as coastal heritage landscapes (as at St Abb's Head in Scotland, [43]) have also generated opposition to development.…”

Trust in climate science and climate scientists: A narrative review

“…While claims of broad-based distrust do not appear to be well supported, it is important to note that distrust and skepticism, by even a small number of people, can be highly detrimental if they are people in positions of power (e.g., Presidents/PMs, senior government officials, CEOs, or a small but crucial voting block) that decrease support for climate policy [32], or if they actively stall mitigation efforts [6,[33][34][35]. Moreover, researchers have found that traditional survey methods (i.e., direct survey questions) may underestimate the proportion of climate change skeptics, especially among the top 20% of the income distribution in the United States and conservatives in Germany [36].…”

Trust in climate science and climate scientists: A narrative review

“…While claims of broad-based distrust do not appear to be well supported, it is important to note that distrust and skepticism, by even a small number of people, can be highly detrimental if they are people in positions of power (e.g., Presidents/PMs, senior government officials, CEOs, or a small but crucial voting block) that decrease support for climate policy (Engels et al, 2013), or if they actively stall mitigation efforts (Franta, 2022;Oreskes & Conway, 2010;Stokes et al, 2023;Winter et al, 2022). Moreover, researchers have found that traditional survey methods (i.e., direct survey questions) may underestimate the proportion of climate change skeptics, especially among the top 20% of the income distribution in the United States and conservatives in Germany (Beiser-McGrath & Bernauer, 2021).…”