Politically Feasible Renewable Energy Development: The Role of Public Acceptance

Without the support and collaboration from interest groups and public opinion, comprehensive policy changes will be difficult, controversial and perhaps even unfeasible.

The 2020- targets of the EU and the Norwegian government’s plans for policy change as described in the 2012 Climate Policy White Paper will require increases in renewable energy production, transfer and storage in Norway. In other words, more efforts to develop on- and offshore wind power, photo voltaic, hydropower, pump storage capacity, and grids. The shift towards a renewable energy future is associated with many political challenges – among them public acceptance. This project will help provide useful and necessary knowledge on public acceptance issues that Norwegian decision makers will need as they embark on the design, adoption, and implementation of climate- and renewable energy policy change.

WP1 investigates the role of public acceptance at the EU level, while WP2 focuses on how public acceptance influence implementation of policies at the local level and the national level. WP3 synthetizes by bringing together these two levels of governance in a unifying framework that builds on perspectives from political science and behavioral economics.