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Local attitudes towards wind power are more positive

Published:16.03.2016
Tags: 
  • co-operation,
  • stakeholders

In Tanja Männistö ́s Master ́s Thesis (University of Jyväskylä), the main objective was to discover if first-hand experience of a wind farm influences general attitudes towards wind power. Central Finland ́s first wind farm was constructed in Latamäki of Luhanka in the summer of 2014. There are six 3 MW wind turbines in Latamäki.

The first survey to inhabitants was conducted in April 2014. The second survey was sent to the respondents of the first one in January 2015. This was about five months after the construction of the Latamäki wind farm. The sample consisted of 10 % of the population of Luhanka.

Prior to the construction of the Latamäki wind farm, the inhabitants had mainly positive attitudes towards wind power in general and the Latamäki wind farm. After the construction of the wind farm, inhabitants were still in favour of the Latamäki wind farm. Moreover, the attitude towards wind power in general as a form of electricity production had become more positive. Respondents had also changed their attitudes on how they perceived impacts on nature caused by the wind power production. Women and those who had not seen wind turbines before the ones constructed in their own municipality had changed their opinions more than men and people who had seen wind turbines before.

Tanja Männistö ́s Master Thesis (in Finnish)

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