They offer financial stakes and try to play down impacts –
but studies repeatedly find no empirical evidence, say, that placing wind
turbines further from buildings increases acceptance (PDF in German). As that
study puts it, “It’s not enough to want to win over residents by providing them
with information early on. Instead, people need to be able to participate early
on – and have real input.”
Too often, policymakers and industry representatives assume
that financial stakes are enough reward for the public. For instance, Denmark
now requires various types of energy projects to offer 20 percent of the stakes
to the public. But by the time those holdings are issued, the project is
already well defined; citizens cannot shape the project’s design.
Read the One Step of
the Grid story - “Why people come together in community energy projects.”
No comments:
Post a Comment