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Generating conditions of strong social support for wind power: insights from community-owned wind energy projects

J. Hicks

Published 2020 in Australasian Journal of Environmental Management

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT In community-owned windfarms, community members are involved in initiating, developing, owning and benefiting from the windfarm. As such, these projects facilitate multiple opportunities for local people to participate in development processes and outcomes. However, like any form of development, community-owned windfarms vary significantly from project to project. Specifically, projects employ different business models – including different economic arrangements, governance structures and community engagement practices – which have significant implications for the degree of community participation enabled and the types of social outcomes experienced. Through qualitative analysis of Australia's two (and only) operating community-owned windfarms, this article presents unique insights into the relationships between windfarm business models and social outcomes. The article reveals the importance of participation to realising a range of positive social outcomes, including experiences of empowerment and active support for wind energy. The findings indicate that community participation in windfarm processes and outcomes, over time and in ways that are sustained and multifaceted, contributes to generating conditions of strong social support. The insights are applicable to improving social outcomes across all models of wind development.

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