Acceptance and Acceptability of Major Energy Infrastructure Projects – The Socio-Technical Analogues Perspective

The paper compares major contested energy infrastructure projects (wind energy, carbon capture and storage, fracking, and nuclear waste disposal) that are faced with differing levels and intensity of social and local acceptability. Similarities between these projects are seen in their impact on health and ecosystems (e.g. groundwater risks), which are difficult to monitor and therefore cause known and unknown risks, their socio-economic and socio-psychological consequences (spoiling of the landscape and loss in value of the area for tourism, loss of property value, a possible stigma, loss of “sense of place”) and in general diminishing or lacking social and/or local acceptance. Moreover, all these projects require involvement of the public during the planning and implementation phase in order to be acceptable in the long term. Some theses around these issues are discussed. The leading questions are: what are the drivers and barriers regarding participation and acceptance that are shared by all the compared infrastructure projects? Are there analogies and marked differences between the different energy infrastructure projects and what can one learn from them? The outcome of our comparison is based on a systematic literature review and an analysis of the socio-technical, political and economic implications of these projects and of the forms of public participation. The findings contribute to improve the understanding of the acceptability regarding major infrastructure projects.