Projects

• Renewable Energy Strategies: Effective Public Engagement in Climate Policy and Energy Transition (RESPECT)

We devise programmes to include different groups in society and to represent different values in decision making on regional energy strategies (RES). We will study the extent to which such public participation programmes increase public acceptability of local energy projects, such as wind parks. The project is funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) MARET programme.

• Your opinion about wind energy in Roodehaan/Westpoort

The Municipality of Groningen aims to be carbon-neutral by 2035 in order to limit global warming. Fossil energy sources, such as coal, oil and natural gas, need to be replaced by renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind energy. One possible way of generating sustainable energy would be to build wind farms in Roodehaan and/or Westpoort.

The University of Groningen (UG) is conducting independent research into local opinion about the possibility of placing wind turbines in Roodehaan and/or Westpoort. People who live between 500 and 1,500 metres from the proposed site have been invited to take part in this research.

The research is funded by the Municipality of Groningen.

Report Phase 1 (in Dutch)

Report Phase 2 (in Dutch)

Report Phase 3 (in Dutch)

• Vinkhuizen-Noord free of natural gas

In June/July 2019, we carried out an independent study of how people living in Vinkhuizen-Noord think about a gas-free neighbourhood and more specifically, their opinions of a heat grid. We conducted a door-to-door survey of the entire Vinkhuizen-Noord district.

The research was funded by the Municipality of Groningen.

Report (in Dutch)

• Energy transition in the province of Groningen

We conducted independent research into how people living in the municipality of Groningen viewed the energy transition. To this end, we distributed questionnaires randomly throughout the province. A total of 1,142 inhabitants of the province of Groningen responded.

The research was funded by the Province of Groningen.

Report (in Dutch)