Landscape Democracy and the Implementation of Renewable Energy Facilities

Finn Arler (), Karl Sperling and Kristian Borch
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Finn Arler: Department of Planning, Aalborg University, Rendsburggade 14, DK-9000 Aalborg, Denmark
Karl Sperling: Department of Planning, Aalborg University, Rendsburggade 14, DK-9000 Aalborg, Denmark
Kristian Borch: Ruralis—Institute for Rural and Regional Research, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 13, 1-27

Abstract: The internationally accepted goal of eliminating climate gas emissions implies substantial investments in renewable energy (RE) facilities. This will inevitably lead to major impacts on landscapes. Landscape concerns linked to RE facilities are already leading to controversies in many local communities. In this article, we focus on the question of landscape democracy related to the establishment of RE facilities. Based on recommendations from the European Landscape Convention, an analytical framework is presented identifying three main dimensions of landscape democracy, followed by an overview of arrangements, procedures, and methods that are or may be used to encourage democracy. The procedures and methods are analyzed based on examples from Denmark and Norway. This is followed by an analysis of decision levels with a special focus on the principle of subsidiarity. Finally, recommendations are presented to strengthen landscape democracy in relation to the installation of RE facilities.

Keywords: renewable energy; wind turbines; PV plants; energy planning; landscape democracy; landscape quality; citizen participation; green transition; principle of subsidiarity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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