Social acceptance of renewable energy innovation: An introduction to the concept

Abstract

This paper introduces the special issue on Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy Innovation. It is a collection of best papers presented at an international research conference held in Tramelan (Switzerland) in February 2006. While there are ambitious government targets to increase the share of renewable energy in many countries, it is increasingly recognized that social acceptance may be a constraining factor in achieving this target. This is particularly apparent in the case of wind energy, which has become a subject of contested debates in several countries largely due to its visual impact on landscapes. This paper introduces three dimensions of social acceptance, namely socio-political, community and market acceptance. Factors influencing socio-political and community acceptance are increasingly recognized as being important for understanding the apparent contradictions between general public support for renewable energy innovation and the difficult realization of specific projects. The third dimension, market acceptance, has received less attention so far and provides opportunities for further research, particularly from management scholars.

Curb Your Enthusiasm: On Media Communication of Bioenergy and the Role of the News Media in Technology Diffusion

“…Past research, however, suggests that that this type of coverage has been quite widespread in relation to renewable energy technologies (cf. Sengers, et al, 2010;Upreti & van der Horst, 2004;Wüstenhagen, et al, 2007).…”

“…Based on published research (e.g Sengers, et al, 2010;Upreti & van der Horst, 2004;Wüstenhagen, et al, 2007), I expected the coverage to gravitate around controversy. This, I assumed, would lead the newspapers to take a watchdog role in relation to bioenergy, positioning their coverage as protecting the public from authorities and industry.…”

“…Sengers, Raven and Venrooj (2010), for example, highlight that Dutch newspapers amplify voices of organized resistance against new developments, and that groups of protesters can successfully use the newspapers to get their message across to the public. Similarly, Wüstenhagen, Wolsink and Bürer (2007) claim that the media are increasingly picking up on and communicating local resistance to wind power developments in Germany. While studying the failed development of a biomass electricity plant in the UK, Upreti and van der Horst (2004) show how local newspapers frequently amplified arguments about social and environmental risks tied to the plant.…”

The Political Economy of Clean Energy Transitions

“…Finally, Wüstenhagen, Wolsink, and Bürer (2007) stress the importance of market acceptance being understood as the process of adoption of an innovation and refer in this respect to literature on diffusion of innovation (Rogers 1995). We would argue that market acceptance can also refer to the growing competition between different uses of wood resources.…”

Public Perceptions and Support of Renewable Energy in North America in the Context of Global Climate Change

“…In the wake of global concerns over CC and the recent scientific evidence from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), countries are concerned about the increasing levels of GHG emissions as well as energy security and energy independence (Wüstenhagen et al 2007;IPCC 2014). One approach for achieving this strategic goal involves increasing the share of renewable energy through public policies and new energy infrastructure.…”