The Electoral Costs of Renewable Energy in a Multilayer Government

• In Event: The Environment and Electoral Connections

Abstract

Despite widespread public support for renewable power, the construction of wind and solar farms encounters significant local opposition. This may lead incumbent politicians to hesitate in authorizing these projects, fearing electoral repercussions. This paper examines how the multilayered structure of government moderates these electoral effects. Within this framework, various layers of government share decision-making power, making it challenging for voters to discern who is responsible. Voters need to resort to party cues to hold politicians accountable. We posit that the electoral effects of the construction of a facility will be more pronounced when both layers of government are under the control of the same political party.
We leverage novel data encompassing the construction year of wind and solar farms in Spain during 1985-2019. Using a staggered difference-in-differences methodology, we conduct several analyses. We quantify the impact of the placement of a new wind farm on the electoral outcomes in local elections for both the mayor and the regional president. Then, we explore whether these effects depend on the alignment between the regional president and the mayor. Preliminary findings indicate that wind and solar farm initiatives adversely affect the electoral prospects of both the mayor and the regional president, particularly when both belong to the same political party and when there exists some level of local veto power over the siting decision.

Authors

• Albert Solé-Ollé, University of Barcelona

• Matteo Gamalerio, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona, University of Barcelona