Enabling factors of social acceptance of wind energy projects in La Guajira

The report argues that social conflict surrounding wind energy in La Guajira is driven not by opposition to the technology, but by the processes of implementation and consultation. It identifies eight enabling factors for social acceptance: improving information access, regulating community advisers, recognizing the duality of Wayuu leadership, establishing benefit-sharing standards, ensuring equitable internal distribution of benefits, monitoring 'electric transfers', strengthening regional institutional capacity, and aligning industry development with territorial planning. The authors propose actionable solutions including a regional information observatory, a certification program for advisers, and peer-to-peer learning networks for communities.

• Social conflict in La Guajira is primarily caused by the methods of project introduction and the prior consultation process rather than opposition to wind energy itself.
• Information asymmetry is a significant barrier to effective participation, as technical data, environmental impact assessments, and agreements are often dispersed or difficult for communities to access.
• Community advisers, intended to reduce power asymmetries, often lack impartiality and technical expertise because they are typically contracted and paid by the project developers.
• There is a lack of standardized regulation for benefit-sharing, leading to inconsistent and potentially unfair bilateral agreements between companies and different communities.
• Internal distribution of project benefits often leads to community fragmentation when resources are appropriated exclusively by leaders and their families.
• While Law 2294 of 2023 increases 'electric transfers' from power plants to local entities (up to 6% for new plants), there are significant concerns regarding local corruption and inefficient budget management.
• Regional public institutions, including CORPOGUAJIRA and municipal offices, lack the resources and staff to effectively monitor environmental assessments and support prior consultations.
• Wind energy development has followed a 'decide-announce-defend' model, often ignoring subnational territorial management plans (POTs) and Indigenous 'Life Plans'.

APA

Vega-Araújo, J., Cabré, M. M., Ramirez, Y., & Lerma, R. (2024). Enabling factors of social acceptance of wind energy projects in La Guajira. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/sei2024.001-acceptance-wind-energy-la-guajira.pdf

Chicago

Vega-Araújo, José, Miquel Muñoz Cabré, Yismary Ramirez, and Reinaldo Lerma. Enabling factors of social acceptance of wind energy projects in La Guajira. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2024. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/sei2024.001-acceptance-wind-energy-la-guajira.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Vega-Araújo |first1=José |last2=Cabré |first2=Miquel Muñoz |last3=Ramirez |first3=Yismary |last4=Lerma |first4=Reinaldo |title=Enabling factors of social acceptance of wind energy projects in La Guajira |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=January 2024 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/sei2024.001-acceptance-wind-energy-la-guajira.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vegaarajo2024enabling, author = {Vega-Araújo, José and Cabré, Miquel Muñoz and Ramirez, Yismary and Lerma, Reinaldo}, title = {{Enabling factors of social acceptance of wind energy projects in La Guajira}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2024}, month = jan, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/sei2024.001-acceptance-wind-energy-la-guajira.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }