Public agreement with misinformation about wind farms

Misinformation campaigns targeting wind farms are prevalent, yet the extent of public agreement with these claims remains unclear. This study, using six nationally representative samples from the US, UK, and Australia (N=6008), reveals that over a quarter of respondents agree with at least half of the contrarian claims. Agreement across diverse claims is highly correlated, suggesting an underlying belief system rejecting wind farms. This rejection is best predicted by a conspiracist worldview (ΔR² = 0.11–0.20) and negatively by a pro-ecological worldview (ΔR²=0.04–0.13). Agreement with misinformation correlates with lower support for pro-wind policies and increased intentions to protest. The findings highlight the widespread nature of wind farm contrarianism, its roots in individual worldviews, and the challenges this poses to the energy transition.

Kevin Winter, Matthew J. Hornsey, Lotte Pummerer, Kai Sassenberg