Social Licence to Operate: The Contextual Role of Culture and the Dominance of Attitudinal and Regulatory Factors in New Wind Energy Installation

This study investigated the factors influencing the social licence to operate (SLO) for new wind-farm installations, focusing on the roles of community attitudes, regulatory environment and local cultural values and beliefs. Using survey data collected from 226 community members across Australia, multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to examine how these factors influence community acceptance of wind energy development. The findings reveal that positive community attitudes towards wind energy and trust in the regulatory environment significantly enhance the SLO. In contrast, local cultural values and beliefs were not significant predictors. The findings suggest that acceptance of wind energy projects is driven more by perceptions of regulatory fairness and individual attitudes than by cultural norms. Interestingly, community members appear to base their support primarily on perceived economic and social benefits, underpinned by strong trust in the regulatory environment rather than cultural values and beliefs. Theoretically, the study refines SLO frameworks by empirically demonstrating the context-specific nature of cultural influences and the dominant role of attitudinal and regulatory factors. Practically, the study highlights the need for transparent governance and proactive community engagement strategies to strengthen public confidence and foster renewable energy transitions.