A big data analysis of the relationships between renewable power stations and social deprivation in England

Driven by energy policy responding to net-zero actions and sustainable development goals, renewable energy infrastructure has been rapidly expanded. The large-scale deployment of renewable power stations may encounter planning conflicts and generate social concerns. While the spatial distribution of these stations and their relationships with social deprivation is increasingly important, limited research has investigated these issues. Therefore, this study examines relationships between the location of renewable power stations and social deprivation (i.e., deprivation level and deprivation inequality) based on open spatial datasets in England via GIS techniques and statistical analysis. The results show that in terms of deprivation level, areas with conventional (i.e., fossil) power stations have a higher deprivation score, which means that fossil power stations are likely to be located in disadvantaged areas. Regarding renewable (i.e., wind/solar/biofuel) power stations, solar and biofuel power stations are located in less deprived areas, while for wind power stations, no difference in deprivation level is found. By examining deprivation inequality, it is found that the location of fossil power stations is not related to deprivation inequality. Areas with renewable energy power stations tend to have a higher level of social inequality in certain aspects than those without such stations. By providing additional empirical evidence on the social dimensions of energy infrastructure construction, this study highlights the importance of incorporating social inequality considerations into renewable energy planning. The results could contribute to optimised power station planning from the perspective of mitigating social deprivation issues, leading to sustainable energy planning strategies.