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From ‘Decide, Announce, Defend’ to ‘Announce, Discuss, Decide’? Suggestions on how to Improve Acceptance and Legitimacy for Germany’s 380kV Grid Extension

Sander, Antina LU (2011) In IIIEE Master thesis IMEN41 20111
The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
Abstract
Germany’s current energy grid was built to match energy production from major power plants
(coal, gas, nuclear). Due to the 2011 decision to exit all nuclear power until 2022 and
ambitious national CO 2 reduction targets, the need to modernise and extend the grid has
received substantial attention. In the past, implementation of grid extension projects had
shown to be slow and raise serious public opposition. New legal rules have therefore been
introduced in mid 2011, aiming to increase both implementation speed and public acceptance
for the grid extension via improved public participation.
Based on literature reviews and 39 semi-structured interviews realised with... (More)
Germany’s current energy grid was built to match energy production from major power plants
(coal, gas, nuclear). Due to the 2011 decision to exit all nuclear power until 2022 and
ambitious national CO 2 reduction targets, the need to modernise and extend the grid has
received substantial attention. In the past, implementation of grid extension projects had
shown to be slow and raise serious public opposition. New legal rules have therefore been
introduced in mid 2011, aiming to increase both implementation speed and public acceptance
for the grid extension via improved public participation.
Based on literature reviews and 39 semi-structured interviews realised with representatives of
academia, citizen action groups, environmental interest groups, transmission system operators,
approving authorities and planning practitioners, the paper analyses the shortcomings of the
current approach to public participation as exercised for ongoing extension projects covered
by the Energy Grid Extension Act. It describes how the current setting hinders both
achievement of acceptance and legitimacy for missing out on five social goals that public
participation should support. It then assesses to which extent the new legal acts – mainly
future Net Development Plan and Grid Extension Acceleration Act – are suitable to
overcome identified shortcomings. In a final step, recommendations are given on how to
further improve social goal achievement and thus increase acceptance and legitimacy.
Recommendations among others deal with how to increase fairness and transparency in public
participation processes, how to improve access to information and how to give the public a
more substantial role in influencing the final outcome of an approval process. Advise is given
on the roles key organisations and actors need to take and the proposed mode of interaction
in a future participative process. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Sander, Antina LU
supervisor
organization
course
IMEN41 20111
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Acceptance, Energy Grid Extension, Germany, Legitimacy, Public Participation
publication/series
IIIEE Master thesis
report number
2011:30
ISSN
1401-9191
language
English
id
2172946
date added to LUP
2011-10-10 15:14:46
date last changed
2011-10-10 15:14:46
@misc{2172946,
  abstract     = {{Germany’s current energy grid was built to match energy production from major power plants 
(coal,  gas,  nuclear).  Due  to  the  2011  decision  to  exit  all  nuclear  power  until  2022  and 
ambitious  national  CO 2   reduction  targets,  the  need  to  modernise  and  extend  the  grid  has 
received  substantial  attention.  In  the  past,  implementation  of  grid  extension  projects  had 
shown  to be  slow  and  raise  serious  public  opposition.  New  legal  rules  have  therefore been 
introduced in mid 2011, aiming to increase both implementation speed and public acceptance 
for the grid extension via improved public participation. 
Based on literature reviews and 39 semi-structured interviews realised with representatives of 
academia, citizen action groups, environmental interest groups, transmission system operators, 
approving authorities and planning practitioners, the paper analyses the shortcomings of the 
current approach to public participation as exercised for ongoing extension projects covered 
by  the  Energy  Grid  Extension  Act.  It  describes  how  the  current  setting  hinders  both 
achievement  of  acceptance  and  legitimacy  for  missing  out  on  five  social  goals  that  public 
participation  should  support.  It  then  assesses  to  which  extent  the  new  legal  acts  –  mainly 
future  Net  Development  Plan  and  Grid  Extension  Acceleration  Act  –  are  suitable  to 
overcome  identified  shortcomings.  In  a  final  step,  recommendations  are  given  on  how  to 
further  improve  social  goal  achievement  and  thus  increase  acceptance  and  legitimacy. 
Recommendations among others deal with how to increase fairness and transparency in public 
participation processes, how to improve access to information and how to give the public a 
more substantial role in influencing the final outcome of an approval process. Advise is given 
on the roles key organisations and actors need to take and the proposed mode of interaction 
in a future participative process.}},
  author       = {{Sander, Antina}},
  issn         = {{1401-9191}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{IIIEE Master thesis}},
  title        = {{From ‘Decide, Announce, Defend’ to ‘Announce, Discuss, Decide’? Suggestions on how to Improve Acceptance and Legitimacy for Germany’s 380kV Grid Extension}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}