Recommendation 41

Engaging early and fully with local communities to explain why renewable energy infrastructure through their area is necessary and of benefit to them is essential to ensure positive public participation and acceptance. Badly-designed community benefits, or those forced upon communities without adequate consultation, can create tension and objection to new infrastructure while adding costs to consumer bills nationwide. Approaches to engagement and consultation which are poorly thought out or ineptly executed will not help to speed up infrastructure development and will be likely to cause more resistance to its deployment overall.