Re-visiting the ‘social gap’: public opinion and relations of power in the local politics of wind energy

Abstract

Our widely cited 2005 explanatory framework for considering public responses to wind farm developments distinguished two gaps: a 'social gap' between the high support for wind energy reported in surveys and the low success rate for wind farm applications; and an 'individual gap' whereby an individual supports wind energy in general but opposes a local wind farm (NIMBYism). The popular assumption that NIMBYism was the only explanation for the 'social gap' was contested. Instead, three explanations of the social gap were provided -democratic deficit, qualified support, and NIMBYism -and a range of different policy responses was suggested. This analysis is re-visited in order to take account of the theoretical and empirical developments since its publication. The original explanatory framework is expanded and revised and new conclusions are drawn about the likely causes of the 'social gap'.

Local perceptions of opportunities for engagement and procedural justice in electricity transmission grid projects in Norway and the UK

“…Studies of public acceptance suggest that the public in most countries accept and even support the move towards more renewable energy, such as wind, hydro and solar energy and associated grid connections (Aas et al 2014;Bell et al 2005Bell et al , 2013. Simultaneously, concrete projects are often met with significant public opposition when proposed (Bell et al 2013). This "gap" between the general support of renewables and strong opposition against specific projects has gained much attention from researchers as well as from decision-makers and the energy industry (ibid.).…”

“…A prominent example is the EU Directive on the promotion of renewable energy (European Union 2009). Studies of public acceptance suggest that the public in most countries accept and even support the move towards more renewable energy, such as wind, hydro and solar energy and associated grid connections (Aas et al 2014;Bell et al 2005Bell et al , 2013. Simultaneously, concrete projects are often met with significant public opposition when proposed (Bell et al 2013).…”

Contending Expertise: An Interpretive Approach to (Re)conceiving Wind Power's ‘Planning Problem’

“…However, debates concerning renewable energy, and wind energy in particular, are ha a te ised a so ial gap et ee ge e al suppo t a d lo al oppositio (Bell, et al, 2013). For advocates of wind energy development, this provokes an unnecessary obstacle course of planning processes that must be negotiated in proposing new windfarms (Hadwin, 2009).…”

Procedural justice and the implementation of community wind energy projects: A case study from South Yorkshire, UK

“…Although some research suggests that community-led projects can result in greater local support compared to private-developer schemes (Devine-Wright, 2005;Warren and McFadyen, 2010), a few studies demonstrate that community projects can also encounter substantial local opposition and conflict (Simcock, 2014;Walker et al, 2010). Given this mixed research picture, there is a need to understand more deeply the factors and project characteristics that shape local perceptions of community energy schemes (Bell et al, 2013).…”

“…Although wind energy is often supported by the majority of people at the national level, at the local scale specific projects can often be a source of contention amongst neighbouring communities, with substantial opposition frequently emerging that can help prevent projects from receiving planning permission (Bell et al, 2013).…”