Social acceptance of the Vesterhav Syd Wind Power Project : quantitative and qualitative content analysis of social acceptance towards a wind power project in the Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality at the west coast of Jutland, Denmark

Abstract: Essential for the effectiveness of green technology projects is the acceptance of these projects by local actors, from the planning phase to the implementation. It is especially important to understand those people who oppose the idea of having wind turbines in their “backyard” since local resistance can hamper or even prevent the installation of wind power projects. The aim of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of acceptance towards coastal wind power technology on a local level. By employing a mixed methods design, this study investigates a contested coastal wind power case at the Danish west coast of Jutland; Vesterhav Syd. In investigating acceptance towards wind power on a broad level and subsequently in more detail, this study is among the first to investigate acceptance in a holistic bottom up approach. Based on a quantitative content analysis of survey responses (n=148), it could be shown that 71.6% of the respondents are concerned about the wind park construction in their region. Concerns are dominantly related to the perception of visual and natural impairment and a fear of losing tourists in this popular holiday destination. The survey results were further operationalised through the concept of social acceptance (Wüstenhagen, Wolsink & Bürer, 2007) to investigate location-specific concerns in more detail. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with people working in the tourism sector (n=7 confirmed after n=50 were originally asked for an interview). A qualitative content analysis of the interview revealed diverging acceptance about the wind park; while four in seven participants are in favour of the project, common concerns are uncertainties regarding outcome effects (e.g. reduced tourist numbers and more employment in the energy sector), as well as a perceived inadequate planning process. A combination of unique contextual factors (e.g. social and occupational networks) furthermore shapes the interview participants’ acceptance. While these results cannot be assumed to be representative given the small sample size and the narrow focus of the interview group, they reveal a more nuanced picture of local acceptance that could be important to take into consideration when initiating similar coastal wind power projects in the future. Based on the results, improved uncertainty management, enhanced collaboration in decision-making on a community level, as well as the appreciation of divergent perspectives are recommended to enhance the planning process of coastal wind power installations.