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Short abstract:

The need for societal transformation to decarbonise human activities is ever-growing, yet efforts to accelerate the energy transition is challenged by public resistance. My paper explores how this paradox is reshaping Norwegian concession processes for onshore wind and the electricity grid.

Long abstract:

The Norwegian government is attempting to accelerate the decarbonisation of its industrial and transport sector through large-scale electrification, CCS, as well as employment of new green industries - all efforts mandating increases in electricity production and transmission. Yet these efforts are facing considerable challenges. Onshore wind energy was for long viewed as the ideal technology for increasing electricity production, but following a period of rapid deployment between 2017 and 2020 development has nearly stopped due to public resistance (Skjærseth et al., 2023). The concession process was too centralised and negligent of local values and interests, opposers argued (Vasstrøm & Lysgård, 2021). Subsequently, the Norwegian government has revised the process in hopes of restoring public legitimacy for onshore wind.

On the grid side, public resistance has received less attention and acceleration has been approached far more technocratic. Here, the focus has been on removing bureaucratic bottlenecks in the processing of grid connection and development applications to shorten timelines.

The two topics thus illustrate different strategies for improving concession processes to accelerate diffusion which demonstrate different formatting of publics and participation - one focusing on re-legitimising deployment by increasing local decision-making capabilities; another through streamlining and improving bureaucratic capacity.

Drawing on content analysis of decarbonisation strategies in Norwegian white papers and interviewees with actors from electricity production and transmission sectors, my paper examines how the energy transition has been altered in midst of growing public contestation and how controversy and acceleration shape the who, what and how of participatory practices.