Territorial Normatization , wind Energy and Unequal Spatialization of the Impacts of Wind Energy Around the World: A Systematic Review

Abstract

In this study, we start from the hypothesis of the unequal spatialisation of the impacts generated by the territorialisation of wind farms, arguing that the expansion of wind energy, despite its sustainability discourse, reproduces socio-economic and environmental inequalities. To examine this issue, a systematic literature review was conducted using the PRISMA method, comparing the impacts of wind energy between developed and developing countries. The results indicate that the negative impacts, particularly socio-economic ones, are concentrated in the Global South, in countries such as Mexico, Brazil, India, and Colombia, where weak environmental regulations and asymmetric power relations favour the interests of large energy conglomerates. While in developed countries wind energy contributes to boosting local economies, in developing nations it predominantly results in processes of dispossession, abusive contracts, environmental degradation, and the exclusion of communities from decision-making processes. Finally, we interpret this process as a form of green colonialism, aimed at maintaining capital accumulation and reproduction through the exploitation of wind resources. As with previous forms of colonialism, green colonialism imposes an external model of exploitation, disregarding local territorialities. It is concluded that a just energy transition requires democratic participation and regulatory frameworks that ensure the equitable distribution of benefits, preventing wind energy from becoming yet another mechanism of accumulation by dispossession.