Energy justice-based community acceptance of local-level energy transition to solar photovoltaic energy

The Taiwanese government set an ambitious target for low-carbon energy transition by increasing the share of renewable energy in total electricity generation from 4.58 % in 2017–20 % by 2025, to be achieved mainly by solar photovoltaics (PV). However, the rapid deployment and expansion of large-scale solar PVs across the country has provoked tensions at the local level, bringing the issues of community acceptance and energy justice of solar PVs within the public debate. This study investigates the factors contributing to the community acceptance of a 2 MW solar PV station in Chihshang Township in Taiwan by evaluating the conditions behind the project, which faced severe challenges in 2020 before becoming successful in 2021. Findings revealed that socio-technical and national-local tensions emerged at the local level from the energy transition-oriented, national energy policy-driven, and developer-led techno-economic nature of the project. Allocating a site to the project was the most decisive factor in community acceptance, which triggered social, economic, and cultural factors that contributed to the support for or opposition to the project. In addition, enhancing procedural and distributive justice in the project planning process significantly increased chances of community acceptance. Increased community engagement and collective action enhanced the autonomy and capacity of the community to work on a range of social, economic, and cultural factors at local level to accept or reject a legally approved solar PV project and demand a just energy transition at the local level. • Socio-technical tensions over just energy transition at Chihshang, Taiwan. • Location was the decisive factor for acceptance/rejection of the solar PV station. • Building large-scale solar PVs at a NIMBY site increased community acceptance. • Procedural and distributive justice significantly increased community acceptance. • Community engagement facilitated a just energy transition at the local level.