Towards a just energy transition? Involving local views and experiences of the energy transition
November 2, 2026
The energy transition has the capacity to create new opportunities for local and regional development in rural and remote areas. Recently, however, it has also raised concerns on changing natural areas, landscapes, and local living environments, for example. This has highlighted the need to understand how local people experience the change and the importance of local acceptance in the planning and processing of the energy transition.
Laura Raitavuo’s Master’s thesis examined the views of local people and municipal decision-makers in Muhos, Utajärvi and Vaala on the ongoing energy transition. The data was collected through resident interviews and an online survey for the decision-makers in December 2024 and January 2025. The results of the thesis will be published by early 2027.
Based on the initial results, the energy transition was mainly considered as a positive change for the region. It was seen as an opportunity, in particular, for the vitality and economy of municipalities, climate change mitigation, and the development of local and regional energy self-sufficiency. At the same time, however, concerns were raised regarding biodiversity, local well-being, and the future of existing local livelihoods, namely tourism.
Wind power in particular sparked debate due to its adverse effects on the landscape, noise, and glare. Solar power was seen as the most positive energy project for the region. The uneven distribution of benefits and costs, the perceived lack of opportunities to influence the decision-making, and the reliability of the current technology were considered challenges in the energy transition and related project planning.
Based on the results, local participation opportunities should be communicated comprehensively and as proactively as possible. Thus, the successful energy transition does not only depend on the technical solutions and outcomes of the projects. It also depends on how the planning is implemented, and how just and transparent the process is perceived by the local stakeholders.