Contested renewable energy sites due to landscape and socio-ecological barriers: Comparison of wind and solar power installation cases in Japan

There has been an increasing effort to promote renewable energies as climate change mitigation measures in Japan. Yet, the installation of wind turbines and solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants is being contested in several parts of the country. There is a need to understand these oppositions to reduce the number of delayed projects or overcome future barriers. Thus, in this study, we investigated cases of opposition movements and legal proceedings against wind and solar PV power development. Results indicated that landscape elements and socio-ecological factors motivate local oppositions. For instance, there were cases filed due to landscape view obstruction caused by wind turbines and solar panels. In terms of socio-ecological barriers, examples of cases scrutinized showed opposition caused by the potential impact on recreational activities such as climbing and hiking trails. Additionally, we observed that there were differences in the scope and scale of opposition movements and legal proceedings between wind and solar PV power projects. These differences were related to the scale (project size) and duration (construction to operation) of the project coupled with the renewable energy-related legal system changes in Japan. We observed that the overall legislative framework is frequently designed at the national level while challenges in project site selection are dealt with at the municipal- and prefectural-level. The findings of this study can help policymakers to revise and/or develop legal systems that minimize impacts on landscape and social elements while satisfying the demand for renewable energy transitions.