Don’t say it’s about the climate! How framing can shape (or not) support for renewable energy

The green shift implies a transition away from fossil energies towards renewable energies. However, the deployment of renewable energy has faced some backlash from citizens. This article assesses whether framing can affect support for the construction of renewable energy infrastructure. To this end, we use the case of Norway, which displays variation in terms of its experience with renewable energies: it has a long tradition of hydropower, a growing experience of onshore wind, and is currently developing its offshore wind capacity. We assess to what extent the framing of energy policy in terms of energy sovereignty, of industrial competitiveness, and of achieving the green transition can both positively and negatively affect support for renewables deployment. This seems important against the backdrop of increasing opposition, be it due to party realignment along the climate dimension, or movements such as the yellow vests. Preliminary findings suggest that most respondents are not fooled by various framings, although framing energy policy in terms of achieving the green transition may backfire within certain sections society. Sometimes, not linking energy policy to climate policy might be a way to avoid triggering additional resentment towards the deployment of renewable energy infrastructures.