ANTICIPATING LOCAL ACCEPTANCE OF SOLAR FARM DEVELOPMENT IN BATANG KALI, SELANGOR, MALAYSIA: ASSESSING POTENTIAL IMPACTS

To restructure the country's economy towards a high-value economy, the government has placed the transition to a green economy as one of the main targets of its economic restructuring efforts. This transition will create a significant positive impact on every level of society, in addition to guaranteeing the continuity of the country's energy. Nonetheless, every planned development must minimise its impacts on the communities that it will affect. The main objective of this study is to explore the impact of solar farm development on a local community in the dimension of sustainability. This study employed a quantitative research methodology to evaluate the level of impact that the community may experience. The study's primary findings revealed that the community involved in the proposed development project would be significantly affected, both positively and negatively, across social, environmental, and economic dimensions. The community anticipated that the solar renewable energy generation would have a significant positive impact, and the establishment of a solar-based community would improve the quality of life. The implications of this study will facilitate policy makers, decision makers and practitioners in developing solar farms in a sustainable manner while safeguarding the interests of local communities.