THE PARADOX OF THE ENERGY TRANSITION

SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICTS AND TERRITORIAL JUSTICE IN THE WIND EXPANSION OF THE PIAUÍ COAST

Abstract

The expansion of wind energy is one of the main tools for decarbonizing contemporary energy mixes. However, the literature has shown that the climate benefits associated with the energy transition can coexist with ecological impacts, territorial conflicts, and socio-environmental inequalities concentrated in the areas where these projects are implemented. Despite this progress, there remain few analytical models capable of integrating these different dimensions into a single explanatory framework. In this context, this article aims to propose the analytical model of the Territorial Paradox of the Energy Transition, developed through the triangulation of empirical evidence from studies on the coastlines of Piauí and Maranhão and linked to the literature on energy transition, political ecology, environmental justice, energy geography, and territorial governance. Methodologically, the research is characterized as an explanatory study, conducted through a multiple-case study and a quali-quantitative approach, utilizing a meta-analysis of biological monitoring data, a survey of social perceptions, institutional documents, and scientific literature. The results show that the expansion of wind energy, while contributing to climate change mitigation, tends to concentrate ecological and social costs in sensitive ecosystems and traditional communities when mechanisms for territorial governance and social participation prove insufficient. We conclude that the proposed analytical model broadens our understanding of the conflicts associated with the energy transition by offering an interpretive framework that can be applied to other contexts of renewable energy deployment, which constitutes the main theoretical contribution of this study.