Energy justice and social acceptance of renewable energy projects in the Global South

This chapter assesses the utility of the energy justice framework to study and understand social acceptance of renewable energy in case studies in the Global South (wind, hydropower, solar PV). Findings indicate a set of procedural, recognition and distributive (in)justices that shape acceptance. These include (lack of) inclusion of all affected stakeholders in decision making and consultation; (lack of) recognition of energy needs and expectations prior, during and after project completion (with social acceptance being dynamic) and the (un)equal distribution of risks and ‘elite’ capture of benefit. Given the complex ways in which energy (in)justices emerge, our analysis suggests that social acceptance must be contextually rooted and especially sensitive to the evolving expectations of people living in non-electrified or newly electrified locations.