Searching for Ways to Manage Public Conflicts for Sustainable Offshore Wind Power Development

The purpose of this study is to collect cases of public conflicts in the process of constructing renewable energy power plants, analyze causes and solutions, and explore management measures for sustainable offshore wind power development based on this finding. For the study, atheoretical case studies was used to compare and analyze individual cases of land and water solar and wind power development in Korea. Through the case analysis, it was found that public conflicts are divided into the government-centered first sector, the business-centered second sector, and the citizen-centered third sector, occurring in various forms depending on the positions of stakeholders within and between sectors. In particular, local residents belonging to the third sector emerged as key stakeholders in public conflicts in most cases, citing problems with the consultation process, environmental and safety issues, and economic concerns. Successful power plant construction and operation cases that resolved public conflicts with residents solved three problems well. First of all, there was governance for active participation and persuasion of residents in the consultation process, and it was found that information sharing was well done. Second, proactive measures to resolve potential uncertainties in the environment and stability and to coexist, and reactive measures for management were being taken appropriately. Third, profit sharing was well established through bond investments and fundraising to help local residents lead economically sustainable lives. On the contrary, when the construction of a power plant is suspended or withdrawn, the direct reason is the lack of success factors, but the problem was that success and failure were inevitably divided on a case-by-case basis without an integrated and consistent project promotion guideline. Therefore, this study suggests that the government should strengthen its role as a mediator and facilitator that provides consistent policies and guidelines and further mediates conflicts at the present time when the expansion of offshore wind power generation.