Public Participation Key to Successful Development

The case for wind power may seem clear to those of us who have been proponents of clean energy but developers worldwide can tell you that engaging and educating the public is still an uphill battle.

The true economic costs of fossil fuels are the dirty secret of today's society. Subsidies to the big oil companies, environmental costs from the production through the end user, health care needs skyrocketing, should be - but never are - factored into the decisions surrounding alternative energies development.

While all these expenses are known, they run like a subliminal loop in our collective unconscious. New technologies, though, are still frightening with an immediacy that can derail any progressive development. So when a developer proposes a wind farm for your community we will see a quick opposition mobilized against perceived threats which in the long run protect the status quo.

Chris Forrest, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at CanWea chaired the session Earning Social License to Build: Strategies for Success. CanWea's commitment to public consultation and stakeholder engagement  "recognizes the right of citizens to have a meaningful role in developments that affect their community." Providing credible information about wind energy includes the social, economic and environmental benefits requiring active engagement from the developers and activists with the support of national, not-for-profit support organizations. 

In many ways the session was so fundamental that I had to ask myself why it was necessary. Controlling your message is the elemental ingredient to any business success.  Engaging the media should be a high priority.  Gathering support amongst the stakeholders is essential for progress. Bringing your opponents inside the process is the fastest way to find common values and bring them on board.

The effort that CanWea applies to community involvement though, should be a model for the industry to "facilitate the responsible and sustainable development of wind energy".