TY - JOUR

T1 - Applying environmental-behaviour concepts to renewable energy siting controversy

T2 - Reflections on a longitudinal bioenergy case study

AU - Upham, Paul

PY - 2009/11

Y1 - 2009/11

N2 - To date, studies of energy siting controversy and of environmental psychology have barely informed one another, despite the environmental-behaviour literature potentially having considerable relevance to understanding public opposition to energy projects. This paper points towards this relevance, using the example of a longitudinal study of public objections to a 21.5 MWe bioenergy gasifier proposed for Winkleigh in Devon, England. Local opinion surveys in 2004 and 2007 showed that public opposition to the proposed gasifier remained strong but also revealed some statistically significant change and correlations of wider interest. In the context of the environmental psychology literature, the dominant model of contextualised values, intention and behaviour, as well as other psychological approaches, are found to be helpful, both for making sense of the results and for informing a psychological research agenda on public objection to new energy infrastructure.

AB - To date, studies of energy siting controversy and of environmental psychology have barely informed one another, despite the environmental-behaviour literature potentially having considerable relevance to understanding public opposition to energy projects. This paper points towards this relevance, using the example of a longitudinal study of public objections to a 21.5 MWe bioenergy gasifier proposed for Winkleigh in Devon, England. Local opinion surveys in 2004 and 2007 showed that public opposition to the proposed gasifier remained strong but also revealed some statistically significant change and correlations of wider interest. In the context of the environmental psychology literature, the dominant model of contextualised values, intention and behaviour, as well as other psychological approaches, are found to be helpful, both for making sense of the results and for informing a psychological research agenda on public objection to new energy infrastructure.

KW - Bioenergy

KW - Environmental psychology

KW - Siting controversy

KW - Sustainability sciences, Communication

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70449407177&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.enpol.2009.05.027

DO - 10.1016/j.enpol.2009.05.027

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:70449407177

VL - 37

SP - 4273

EP - 4283

JO - Energy Policy

JF - Energy Policy

SN - 0301-4215

IS - 11

ER -