Resistance to Renewable Energy Projects: Recent Evidence from Ohio and Ontario

• In Event: Panel 2: Policy Innovation for a Changing Environment

Abstract

This paper assesses the causes of wind farm siting opposition, how the federal political systems of Canada and the U.S. affect anti-renewable energy group activities, and the local and/or national character of the opposition efforts using four wind farm siting case studies from two North American jurisdictions, the U.S. State of Ohio and the Canadian Province of Ontario. A key question this paper addresses regarding opposition efforts is, are the activities genuine local opposition efforts, or are they tied into broader national anti-renewable energy initiatives? James Q. Wilson’s (1973, 1980) concentrated/distributed benefits and costs framework and an intergovernmental relations framework developed by the author (Shock, 2005) are used to analyze the cases. Overall, this paper concludes that Wilson’s (1973; 1980) typology classification called “entrepreneurial politics” explains the intense local opposition that occurred during the wind farm siting processes in Ohio and Ontario. In addition, this paper finds that the federal political systems in Canada and the U.S. impact opposition efforts differently, but partisan politics at the state and provincial levels play a significant role in both systems. Finally, while three of the four case studies in this paper indicate that opposition efforts are locally based, the 2022 Ohio case study illustrates the growing importance of national multi-jurisdictional groups.

Author

• David R. Shock, Kennesaw State University