Economic and territorial integration of renewables in rural areas: Lessons from a long-term perspective

Duarte, R. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; García-Riazuelo, Á. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Sáez, L. A. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Sarasa, C. (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: The current awareness of climate change and its consequences has motivated international institutions and states to make sustainable development a central goal, promoting a process of energy transition towards low-carbon economies. This process entails an increase in the share of renewables in the energy mix, with wind power currently being the renewable source that produces the most energy, and whose growth is accelerating, both nationally and globally. The development of the associated infrastructures, many often in rural areas, has been seen either as a blessing or a curse, sometimes conceived as a historic opportunity to boost economic growth and employment, and sometimes as a threat that prevents future alternative developments. In this context, this work evaluates the socio-economic and demographic effects of wind power installations, in the short and long term, on the rural territory of the Campo de Belchite county (Aragon, Spain). We analyze the compatibility of rural development and environmental goals retrospectively, using a novel approach in this field, the Synthetic Control Method. Our results highlight that the compatibility of socio-economic, demographic, and environmental objectives can be difficult to achieve in rural territories, with negative effects in terms of rural population and only temporary job creation. Positive economic outcomes are found but they are not immediate. Our work brings insights and guidelines for the management of wind farms that must be linked to the territory and to its population to reach a just energy transition.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2022.106005

Año: 2022

Publicado en: ENERGY ECONOMICS 110 (2022), 106005 [11 pp.]
ISSN: 0140-9883

Factor impacto JCR: 12.8 (2022)

Categ. JCR: ECONOMICS rank: 2 / 380 = 0.005 (2022) - Q1 - T1

Factor impacto CITESCORE: 14.7 - Economics, Econometrics and Finance (Q1) - Energy (Q1)

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 3.039 - Energy (miscellaneous) (Q1) - Economics and Econometrics (Q1)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/AEI/PID2019-106822RB-I00
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/S40-20R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/UZ/OTRI-2020-0229

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Economía Aplicada (Dpto. Economía Aplicada)
Área (Departamento): Área Fund. Análisis Económico (Dpto. Análisis Económico)