Conference Agenda

The large-scale deployment of renewable energy sources (RES) produces local environmental and economic benefits as well as burdens. These are usually distributed unevenly in space. A spatially more equitable deployment of renewable energy sources (RES) is frequently discussed to address concerns of spatial distributive injustices and declining local acceptance. We explore and compare systematically the feasibility and impacts of alternative approaches to spatial equity in RES deployment. Our analysis uses an energy location model with highly resolved spatial data for around 46,000 potential sites for wind turbines and 7,060 km2 of potential sites for ground-mounted PV in Germany. Our analysis shows that reallocating RES deployment can lead to improvements in spatial equity if compared to the current spatial allocation and future allocation scenarios driven solely by cost-minimization. At the same time, we also find clear limitations to reaching perfect spatial equity through siting due to restrictions in land availability. Moreover, we identify relevant intra-equity trade-offs: different approaches to spatial equity may lead to vary different spatial allocations of RES deployment. Finally, our results suggest moderate equity-efficiency trade-offs, particularly for onshore wind power. Generation costs my increase by up to 14% if the spatial allocation of RES deployment is optimized with respect to spatial equity. We conclude that comprehensive strategy to address spatial distributive justice and local acceptance cannot solely rely on regulating the spatial allocation of RES deployment. It has to be complemented by other means, like a spatial redistribution of financial benefits as well just procedures for decision-making.