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Lessons learned from Ontario wind energy disputes

Nature Energy volume 1, Article number: 15028 (2016) Cite this article

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Abstract

Issues concerning the social acceptance of wind energy are major challenges for policy-makers, communities and wind developers. They also impact the legitimacy of societal decisions to pursue wind energy. Here we set out to identify and assess the factors that lead to wind energy disputes in Ontario, Canada, a region of the world that has experienced a rapid increase in the development of wind energy. Based on our expertise as a group comprising social scientists, a community representative and a wind industry advocate engaged in the Ontario wind energy situation, we explore and suggest recommendations based on four key factors: socially mediated health concerns, the distribution of financial benefits, lack of meaningful engagement and failure to treat landscape concerns seriously. Ontario's recent change from a feed-in-tariff-based renewable electricity procurement process to a competitive bid process, albeit with more attention to community engagement, will only partially address these concerns.

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Figure 1: Public response to wind energy.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Science, Society and Policy, University of Ottawa, Desmarais Building, 55 Laurier Avenue East, Ottawa, K1N 6N5, Ontario, Canada

    Stewart Fast

  2. Department of Geography, 68 University Avenue

    Warren Mabee

  3. Queen's University, Kingston, K7L 3N6, Ontario, Canada

    Warren Mabee

  4. Department of Geography, Social Science Centre, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, N6A 5C2, Ontario, Canada

    Jamie Baxter

  5. Ontario Research Chair in Renewable Energy Technologies and Health, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Ontario, Canada

    Tanya Christidis

  6. School of Planning, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Ontario, Canada

    Tanya Christidis

  7. Alliance to Protect Prince Edward County, PO Box 173, Milford, K0K 2P0, Ontario, Canada

    Liz Driver

  8. Campbell House Museum, 160 Queen Street West, Toronto, M5H 3H3, Ontario, Canada

    Liz Driver

  9. School of Environment, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, K9J 7B8, Ontario, Canada

    Stephen Hill

  10. Department of Social Science, Business and Society Program, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, M3J 1P3, Ontario, Canada

    J. J. McMurtry

  11. Renewable Energy Community Relations and Communications Strategist, 3-293 Mowat Avenue, Kingston, K7M 1L2, Ontario, Canada

    Melody Tomkow

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  1. Stewart Fast
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Correspondence to Stewart Fast.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Cite this article

Fast, S., Mabee, W., Baxter, J. et al. Lessons learned from Ontario wind energy disputes. Nat Energy 1, 15028 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nenergy.2015.28

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