Offshore Wind Farms and Tourism Development Relationship to Energy Distribution Justice for the Beibu Gulf, China

Xin Nie, Hubin Ma, Sihan Chen, Kailu Li, Zhenhan Yu, Han Wang and Zhuxia Wei ()
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Xin Nie: School of Public Administration, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Hubin Ma: School of Public Administration, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Sihan Chen: School of Public Administration, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Kailu Li: School of Public Administration, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Zhenhan Yu: School of Public Administration, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Han Wang: School of Public Administration, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Zhuxia Wei: School of Public Administration, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-23

Abstract: Energy distribution justice is of primary concern within the energy justice framework and it is crucial to increase public acceptance of offshore wind energy and further advance its development. The rapid development of offshore wind energy in China has inevitably impacted the livelihoods of coastal vulnerable groups (CVGs) engaged in fisheries and tourism in the coastal zone. While current policies often compensate for livelihood losses through cash payments, the fiscal strain caused by COVID-19 renders this approach unsustainable. Consequently, this research pioneers the exploration of Chinese tourist groups’ landscape preferences towards offshore wind farms (OWFs). This study proposes a new approach to enhance OWF landscapes for tourism development, thereby balancing the distribution of costs and benefits between CVGs and tourists. The research focuses on Beihai City in the Beibu Gulf Economic Region, utilizing a combination of Q-methodology and choice experiments that incorporates cut-offs. Answers to eighty Q-methodology questionnaires and 1324 choice experiment questionnaires are obtained. The findings indicate that this region can achieve energy distribution justice by compensating for the livelihood losses of CVGs through tourism. Contrary to traditional assumptions about wind farm noise preferences, Chinese tourists prefer proximity to OWFs, as an appropriate coastal acoustics landscape can enhance their tourism experience. In light of these findings, this paper presents policy recommendations towards energy distribution justice.

Keywords: offshore wind energy; energy distribution justice; tourist groups; coastal vulnerable groups; modified choice experiment; Q-methodology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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