ID: 1487
Presenting Author: Rebecca Cotton
Session: 550 - (Re)building trust and transparency to navigate complex energy transitions
Status: pending
Understanding key social factors and the role of key stakeholders in the push for renewable energy developments in Central Queensland, Australia, and how these shape community engagement.
Australia has committed to NetZero emissions by 2050, leading to an expedited roll out of renewable energy developments. In Australia there are multifaceted regulatory frameworks relating to renewables across Commonwealth, States and Territories. Within any renewable project, there are multiple actors involved. These may change throughout the development process, with the sale and on-sale, of projects. The renewable energy transition in Australia has been conceptualised as a wicked problem, in part due to unclear jurisdictional oversight, and non-transparent regulatory measures in place. This has resulted in conflicts occurring at multiple levels. Within communities there is reported hostility between those who endorse and those who oppose the projects. Some high profile projects have been pulled by proponents, while political intervention has seen others cancelled. This study aims to understand the experiences of a community during the establishment of renewable energy infrastructure in Central Queensland. The methods involved semi-structured interviews and participant observations.
We identify underlying social factors contributing to project opposition occurring during the transition to renewable energy. This has implications for key stakeholders, who are currently making significant investment in the form of financial, time and risk. This research provides contextual insights to community engagement challenges. It aims to inform better engagement processes, and the way stakeholders engage in, and make decisions pertaining to the transition to renewable energy.
Rebecca is a third year PhD student from the University of Queensland, Australia. Rebecca has worked in the International Agricultural Research for Development Space for the past 10 years.
Coauthor 1: Bradd Witt