Understanding the Significance of Biodiversity in Onshore Wind Turbine Projects: Evidence from Denmark

Wind energy is important to climate- and fossil-fuel-independent strategies. A renewable energy package for Denmark announced in 2022 is expected to quadruple the electricity production from wind and solar by 2030. However, concerns about biodiversity have been an important source of legal challenges against expanding onshore wind. This study aims to evaluate how biodiversity-related concerns impact the development of onshore wind parks. The results suggest that biodiversity-related concerns can lead to negative public attitudes towards onshore wind turbine projects and thus significantly impact the development of these projects. More strongly articulated concerns about biodiversity led to stronger negative individual feelings about the wind turbine projects. The complainants often seek to amplify the strength of their appeals by referencing biodiversity legislation. This study highlights the challenges wind turbine project developers encounter and the biodiversity-related concerns local citizens express, and sheds light on understanding the significance of biodiversity in onshore wind projects.