No one-size-fits-all approach for onshore wind acceptance – study

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to boosting popular acceptance for local wind parks, says a study by the Renewable Energies Agency (AEE). Financial participation, for example, is helpful only in certain cases and could even exacerbate existing conflicts, while political participation does not automatically increase how people perceive fairness of the permit and construction process, writes the author. The study says it is necessary to look at the individual local circumstances and that the communities have to be supported in finding the right recipe. “There is no panacea for acceptance and participation - and yet participation at municipal level is important,” said AEE managing director Robert Brandt in a press release.

According to a 2019 survey by AEE, 51 percent of Germans would support a wind park near their home. This number rises to 63 percent for those who already have experience with turbines in their neighbourhood. Wind turbines have become one of the most visible components of Germany's energy transition and increasingly dominate the landscape in many parts of the country. While most people support a roll-out of the technology, Germany’s most important renewable energy source also has ardent opponents – numerous citizen initiatives are concerned about the turbines’ effects on people, wildlife and natural scenery.