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Assessing public participation tools during wind energy siting

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  • Stewart Fast

    (University of Ottawa)

Abstract

Wind energy development brings a new set of natural resource management challenges to land managers and policy-makers. This paper assesses the use of so-called community liaison committees as a public participation mechanism to reduce social friction during wind energy development in Ontario, Canada. Establishing these committees has become a condition of regulatory approval for wind projects, but little is known about the scope, purpose, composition and effectiveness of these committees. This paper finds that the committees are marginally effective, but they are limited by the tight control exerted by project proponents on representation and scope of the committee. None of the theoretical benefits expected from public participation in terms of improved decision-making or increased democratic capacity appear to be achieved by the community committees. The paper offers contributions to the environmental study literature in two areas: improved understanding of the mechanisms of renewable energy governance and a multi-case study critique of a public participation tool used in environmental and land use decision-making processes.

Suggested Citation

  • Stewart Fast, 2017. "Assessing public participation tools during wind energy siting," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 7(3), pages 386-393, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:7:y:2017:i:3:d:10.1007_s13412-016-0419-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s13412-016-0419-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Winfield, Mark & Dolter, Brett, 2014. "Energy, economic and environmental discourses and their policy impact: The case of Ontario׳s Green Energy and Green Economy Act," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 423-435.
    2. Stokes, Leah C., 2013. "The politics of renewable energy policies: The case of feed-in tariffs in Ontario, Canada," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 490-500.
    3. Aitken, Mhairi, 2010. "Why we still don't understand the social aspects of wind power: A critique of key assumptions within the literature," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 1834-1841, April.
    4. Fast, Stewart & Mabee, Warren, 2015. "Place-making and trust-building: The influence of policy on host community responses to wind farms," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 27-37.
    5. John Parkins, 2006. "De-centering environmental governance: A short history and analysis of democratic processes in the forest sector of Alberta, Canada," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 39(2), pages 183-202, June.
    6. Baxter, Jamie & Morzaria, Rakhee & Hirsch, Rachel, 2013. "A case-control study of support/opposition to wind turbines: Perceptions of health risk, economic benefits, and community conflict," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 931-943.
    7. Stewart Fast & Warren Mabee & Jamie Baxter & Tanya Christidis & Liz Driver & Stephen Hill & J. J. McMurtry & Melody Tomkow, 2016. "Lessons learned from Ontario wind energy disputes," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 1(2), pages 1-7, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Karakislak, Irmak & Schneider, Nina, 2023. "The mayor said so? The impact of local political figures and social norms on local responses to wind energy projects," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).

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