Work

Rushing for the gold of the energy transition: An empirical exploration of the relevance of landownership for the wind energy expansion in Germany

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Germany plans to increase support for community energy projects as part of its renewable energy expansion. These are not only intended to increase local acceptance but are also seen as a socially fairer and more democratically participatory alternative to renewable energy projects developed and owned by large energy companies. However, based on semi-structured interviews with experts and developers in the field of citizen wind energy, we show that issues of procedural and distributive justice are already being decided in the process of securing land through an ongoing land rush for wind sites. Although there are some mediating factors, such as social pressure and parcel size, landowners can act as veto players for local wind energy projects, excluding non-owners of land property, such as citizens and municipalities, from the decision-making process. Based on our empirical findings we argue that the distribution of landownership is crucial for questions of local energy justice and that more attention should be paid to the relevance of landownership in the context of energy transitions.

Source: Energy Research & Social Science

DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2025.104030

Authors: Maria Pfeiffer, Marco Sonnberger

Institutions: Research Institute for Work, Technology and Culture, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, University of Tübingen, University of Stuttgart

Language: English

Topic: Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Affordable and clean energy, Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Climate action, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,450