Public participation, institutional trust, and distributive justice in wind and solar projects

Scaling up wind and solar energy is essential for decarbonization, yet local contestation frequently delays projects, making social acceptance a critical enabling condition. This study examines the institutional drivers of acceptance by analyzing how trust, participation, transparency, and perceived impacts shape residents’ evaluations of renewable energy developments. It addresses four questions: how trust in key stakeholders influences perceptions of distributive justice; whether participation reduces perceived negative impacts and increases acceptance; whether these dynamics differ between wind and solar; and how energy literacy, information availability, and desired engagement relate to support. Using comparative evidence from 300 residents in the Centro Region of Portugal, the study models relationships among stakeholder‑specific trust, participation experiences, perceived impacts, and fairness evaluations. The findings show that trust, perceived fairness, and meaningful engagement are far more influential than procedural formality or technical knowledge. Trust in institutions strongly predicts perceived distributive justice and willingness to pay, while awareness of Environmental Impact Assessments or regulatory procedures has no measurable effect. Participation consistently aligns with more positive fairness perceptions, and perceived impacts remain a key determinant of support. The study contributes by identifying which institutions matter most for perceived fairness, demonstrating the limits of transparency understood as formal compliance, and clarifying when participation enhances legitimacy—offering guidance for more socially robust renewable energy governance.