The legacy of the cod fishery collapse: Understanding wind energy acceptance in Newfoundland through energy justice and place

Abstract

As renewable energy grows globally, understanding community acceptance of wind energy projects is crucial for ensuring a fair and equitable energy future. Procedural and distributional justice have been widely identified as central to shaping community acceptance. However, there are increasing calls to examine how local historical context plays a role not only in influencing acceptance but also in how residents rationalise their justice considerations. Drawing on energy justice and place attachment/disruption theory, this study investigates how historical experiences with resource development influence perceptions of fairness and acceptance of onshore wind energy in Newfoundland, Canada. Based on semi-structured interviews (n = 22) and surveys (n = 146) with residents living near existing wind projects, this study finds high acceptance of current projects (76–100 %), but a distinct pattern of ‘sceptical optimism’ toward future developments. On one hand, residents' attachment to their once-thriving communities and positive experiences with current wind projects contribute to support for future development. On the other, residents' optimism is tempered by hard-learned lessons from the previous resource developments. The findings underscore the need to integrate recognition justice and local historical context more fully into energy justice and acceptance frameworks, highlighting how past (in)justices inform both community support and the evolving understanding of fairness of energy transitions.