Paper short abstract:

This paper operationalises the CA to analyse the tensions and trade-offs in assessing well-being outcomes generated by the production of wind energy in three Indigenous (Zapotec) communities. The participatory methodology contributes to a body of theory of locally defined priorities and perspectives

Paper long abstract:

Adopting ambitious renewable energy targets has had profound social implications, particularly on a local scale. To gain a holistic understanding of how these impacts occur in communities where projects are installed, it’s important to understand the well-being implications of these impacts and how they may link to the politics of local approval and resistance of renewable energy infrastructure.

This paper operationalises the Capability Approach to analyse the tensions and trade-offs in assessing well-being outcomes generated by the production of wind energy. Specifically, the paper addresses the difficulties in understanding the voice of Indigenous people living near wind energy infrastructure in Southern Mexico and how their conceptions of well-being can be used to estimate the impact of wind energy development on three different communities.

This paper will expand on the description grounded approach used for the identification of capabilities from Alkire (2002), Clark (2003), Ibrahim (2008) and Uyan-Semerci (2007) among others to visualise the relationship between well-being and energy infrastructure projects. The methodology involved a three-stage process that integrated semi-structured interviews, focus groups, a survey, and participatory workshops, involving 450 participants. The findings conclude that community acceptability of energy infrastructure such as wind farms will only be achieved through inclusive community engagement that considers valued ways of being and doing of the local population. These include increasing the opportunities for people to live in good health, skilled employment in the industry, engaging and integrating local culture, values, worldviews and needs, and having a collective approach to the distribution of economic benefits that may strengthen social networks.

By focusing on the recognition of valuable human capabilities from a participatory mixed-methods perspective, this paper contributes to a more compelling body of theory on social wind energy impacts that focuses on locally defined priorities and perspectives. Furthermore, this study also shows how the inclusion of community members as co-researchers is crucial to validating and locating local knowledge at the forefront while allowing local stakeholders to exercise greater voice and agency in how the research is conducted and designed. We hope that this methodology can offer useful insights for the design and implementation of future renewable energy projects that have environmental and social sustainability in mind.