At the 2025 Wind Energy Science Conference (WESC) in Nantes, the WIMBY project team organised a well-attended mini-symposium titled “Assessing Wind Power Integration in Europe while Considering Impacts on Society and the Environment”.
This thematic session brought together a diverse set of researchers and stakeholders to explore the complex challenges and trade-offs of large-scale wind power deployment in Europe. Contributions spanned technical, spatial, and socio-environmental dimensions, all highlighting the urgent need for holistic approaches to wind energy planning.
Among the highlights:
- Guillermo Valenzuela-Venegas presented a systemic analysis of Europe’s net-zero electricity transition, revealing critical trade-offs between decarbonisation targets, land use, and social acceptance.
- Thomas Öberseder introduced a novel multispectral land cover analysis to better understand the spatial footprint of existing wind parks, paving the way for better siting decisions.
- Lien Bakelants addressed socio-political barriers to wind power expansion, showcasing an interactive map as a user-centred decision-support tool to empower local communities and tackle opposition.
The session clearly demonstrated the interdisciplinary strength of the WIMBY consortium and its commitment to advancing wind energy deployment that is not only technically robust but also socially fair and environmentally responsible. The lively exchange at WESC underlined the growing recognition in the wind science community that the energy transition must be integrated, inclusive, and locally rooted.
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