Wind power - An assault on local landscapes or an opportunity for modernization?

Abstract

Wind power development has produced controversies in many places. Some people see wind power as a sustainable source of energy, others see it as destroying nature and landscapes. The opposition to wind power is often asserted to be from local forces and NIMBYism, and support to be based on the national and global benefits of increased supply of renewable energy. In this paper, I challenge this view by analyzing how local communities with established or planned wind power parks went through the process of developing wind power, what arguments they used and how they think about the wind power technology and its expected local effects. I found that most of the arguments in favor of wind power development addressed local concerns regarding the economy, modernization, and employment opportunities and not a need for sustainable energy. The opposition to wind power development was not based on NIMBYism. Rather, many different arguments were used, and the features of the controversies were distinct to each community.