The obstacles of wind power expansion and the need for user-centred decision-making tools

Wind power deployment has expanded exceptionally over the past two decades. Developing wind energy infrastructure becomes ever more critical as the EU aims to meet CO2 reduction goals. However, a broad range of environmental and societal impacts need to be considered and addressed to continue this growth sustainably and acceptably. Furthermore, developing wind farms requires the support and acceptance from local citizens and other stakeholders. The shift towards renewable energy powered by wind energy presents several challenges. One of them is the inherently complex nature of information about the impacts of wind farm development. Much of the information is currently scattered across various platforms and is often accessible and comprehensible to professionals within the wind power industry only. This represents a barrier to civic engagement and makes it difficult for the broader public and local stakeholders to engage in discussions and contribute meaningfully to the planning process of a potential wind farm.

The WIMBY project tackles such transparency barriers by offering information about the most interesting sites to build wind farms, maximising access to wind resources and minimising negative impacts (e.g., biodiversity loss and noise). The project developed tools and methods to bridge the gap between technical experts and the public. The main tools presented here are the WIMBY interactive map and online discussion forum. Other tools and methods developed within the project are considered ideal support for interlinked stakeholder engagement activities aimed at collaborative and informed decision-making processes.