Don’t say it’s green! How green framing can depress support for renewable energy

Abstract

The green transition implies a shift towards renewable energies. However, their deployment has faced some backlash. This article assesses whether (a) the type of renewables and (b) framing can affect support for deployment. Through a survey experiment, three types of renewables (hydropower, onshore wind, offshore wind) and three types of frames (energy sovereignty, economic competitiveness, green transition) are evaluated, in general and for two typically skeptical groups (the least climate-worried and the less-educated ruralites). Using the case of Norway, we find strong effects for the type of renewables but little evidence for general framing effects. There are two exceptions: green framing has a negative effect on support for renewables where citizens have more fluid preferences (offshore wind) and depresses support among the least climate-worried and the less-educated ruralites. For these citizens, remaining silent about the climate benefits of renewable energy will actually boost support for its deployment.