Speaker
Description
Accelerating climate neutrality in the electricity sector requires not only technological innovation but also socially accepted and spatially coherent deployment strategies. We will present two regional analyses of renewable energy siting: 401 onshore wind turbine projects in Wallonia (Belgium) and 236 utility-scale solar PV projects in the French Alps. Both regions face land-use and environmental constraints and complex permitting processes, making them ideal case studies for exploring socio-political and market acceptance. Using spatial analysis and logistic regression, both studies reveal a mismatch between where projects are submitted and accepted. In Wallonia, wind project submissions are more frequent in areas with low population density and proximity to major infrastructure, while approvals favour smaller turbines and avoid ecologically sensitive zones. In the French Alps, solar developers focus mainly on economic feasibility: solar irradiance, slope, grid proximity, and land costs. In contrast, approval is determined almost exclusively by environmental protection, regardless of socio-demographic context. Spatial clustering of submissions suggests a learning process among developers, who increasingly target areas with higher approval rates. However, this raises concerns about uneven territorial burdens and energy justice. The comparative analysis highlights a common tension: developers optimize for feasibility, while authorities prioritize ecological integrity. These findings offer policy-relevant insights for designing transparent and inclusive planning frameworks that support a just transition in the electricity sector by better accounting for geographical factors.
| If your abstract is not accepted for an oral presentation, would you be interested in presenting it as a poster instead? | Yes |
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| If accepted by the Scientific Board, I agree to have my presentation/poster and abstract published on the Belgian Climate Centre websites and social media. | Yes |
