Table Of Content“Insightful, timely and original, Social Movements against Wind Power in
Canada and Germany examines the question of why anti-wind movements have
had variable success. By comparing two critical subnational cases, the book
draws attention to the importance of discursive energy space in shaping move
ment strategy and reception. It offers important lessons for scholars of social
movements and energy politics, as well as for activists and engaged citizens”.
Jennifer Hadden, Associate Professor, Department of Government and Politics,
University of Maryland, USA, Author of Networks in Contention
“An essential guide to understanding the role of discursive and institutional
factors in the genesis of anti-wind power movements in Germany and Canada
that draws clear lessons for those who want to accelerate the transition to low
carbon energy”.
James Meadowcroft, Professor, School of Public Policy and Administration and
Department of Political Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
“Both Canada and Germany are facing opposition to the building of large-scale
renewable energy systems yet with different force and impact. Examining how
“discursive energy spaces” can influence the development of renewable energy
conflicts, this fascinating book explains why anti-wind park movements in
Germany have been less successful than in Canada. The book’s findings have
implications for energy transitions taking place around the world, making it a
valuable resource for academics, students, and practitioners alike”.
Miranda A. Schreurs, Professor of Environment and Climate Policy, Technical
University of Munich, Germany
“A useful conceptualization of the effects of context on power relations and the
practical implications for the study of contentious politics”.
John Gaventa, Professor, Research Director at the Institute of Development
Studies, UK
“Wind energy is vital for decarbonizing electricity. This book offers a highly
valuable cross-national comparison of how social movements mobilize against it.
The end goal of such analysis is not to abandon or reject wind energy, but to
make it more equitable. The book offers insightful analysis of how context
matters for achieving a fairer low-carbon future”.
Benjamin K. Sovacool, Professor of Energy Policy at Sussex University, UK, and
author of Visions of Energy Futures and Energy Security, Equality and Justice
Social Movements against Wind
Power in Canada and Germany
Taking a comparative case study approach between Canada and Germany, this
book investigates the contrasting response of governments to anti-wind
movements.
Environmental social movements have been critical players for encouraging
the shift towards increased use of renewable energy. However, social move
ments mobilizing against the installation of wind turbines have now become a
major obstacle to their increased deployment. Andrea Bues draws on a cross-
Atlantic comparative analysis to investigate the different contexts of contentious
energy policy. Focusing on two sub-national forerunner regions in installed wind
power capacity – Brandenburg and Ontario – Bues draws on social movement
theory to explore the concept of discursive energy space and propose explana
tions as to why governments respond differently to social movements. Overall,
Social Movements against Wind Power in Canada and Germany offers a novel
conceptualization of discursive-institutional contexts of contentious energy pol
itics and helps better understand protest against renewable energy policy.
This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of renewable
energy policy, sustainability and climate change politics, social movement
studies and environmental sociology.
Andrea Bues is a research analyst at the German Advisory Council on the
Environment and is based at the Potsdam-Institute for Climate Impact Research.
She holds a PhD in political science from Freie Universität Berlin and has been
working on land use conflicts and energy transitions.
Routledge Studies in Energy Policy
Guanxi and Local Green Development in China
The Role of Entrepreneurs and Local Leaders
Chunhong Sheng
Energy Policies and Climate Change in China
Actors, Implementation and Future Prospects
Han Lin
Energy Efficiency in Developing Countries
Policies and Programmes
Suzana Tavares da Silva and Gabriela Prata Dias
Ethics in Danish Energy Policy
Edited by Finn Arler, Mogens Rüdiger, Karl Sperling, Kristian Høyer Toft and
Bo Poulsen
Mainstreaming Solar Energy in Small, Tropical Islands
Cultural and Policy Implications
Kiron C. Neale
Appraising the Economics of Smart Meters
Costs and Benefits
Jacopo Torriti
Wind Power and Public Engagement
Co-operatives and Community Ownership
Giuseppe Pellegrini-Masini
Social Movements against Wind Power in Canada and Germany
Energy Policy and Contention
Andrea Bues
For further details please visit the series page on the Routledge website: www.
routledge.com/books/series/RSIEP/
Social Movements against
Wind Power in Canada and
Germany
Energy Policy and Contention
Andrea Bues
First published 2020
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2020 Andrea Bues
The right of Andrea Bues to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-0-367-43955-2 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-00670-1 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Wearset Ltd, Boldon, Tyne and Wear
Dedication – To C.P.
Contents
List of illustrations x
Acknowledgments xi
List of acronyms and technical terms xiii
1 Introduction: renewable energy politics and protest 1
2 Contentious wind energy and context 14
3 Renewable energy policy and politics in Canada and
Germany 44
4 Larger setbacks, saving the forests: the anti-wind
movement in Germany, case study Brandenburg 88
5 Preserving health, curbing costs: the anti-wind movement
in Canada, case study Ontario 121
6 Contention in context: governmental response to social
movements 157
7 Conclusion: the changing winds of discourses on
decarbonization 190
Index 204
