Profile
John Parkins is a professor in the Department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology. His research addresses rural community development, public engagement in resource management and environmental governance. Research on energy transition includes Q Methodology to assess public discourse on energy development, a large-scale national survey of energy literacy and energy citizenship, and analysis of social media content to gauge impacts from proposed energy developments, such as hydroelectric dams. Current research involves analysis of wind energy development with attention to community impacts and possibilities for enhanced local governance of local energy systems. Research on geothermal technology involves an assessment of social and cultural dimensions of geothermal technology including possibilities for community based systems of governance. FES Funded ProjectsOutputs
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Completed community surveyCompleted online survey of community members on attitudes and knowledge of geothermal project.T03-P13 | Activity | 2022-04-30 | Sara Chitsaz | Survey results presentation to communityPresented results of survey to community members.T03-P13 | Activity | 2022-04-30 | Sara Chitsaz | Presentation of research resultsT03-P13 | Activity | 2022-08-05 | Sara Chitsaz, John R Parkins | Fort Nelson First Nation-Owned Tu Deh-Kah Geothermal Project: A Socio-economic StudyT03-P13 | Publication | 2023-01-01 | Sara Chitsaz | Indigenous-Led Energy Transition: Exploring the Tu Deh-Kah Geothermal Project as a Path to DecolonizationT03-P13 | Publication | 2023-08-01 | Sara Chitsaz, "Behn-Tsakoza, T.", John R Parkins | Fort Nelson First Nation-owned Tu Deh-Kah Geothermal Project: A case study of community perceptions & supportT03-P13 | Publication | 2022-03-22 | Sara Chitsaz | Community energy in Western Canada: Insights from case studies on small-scale renewable energy developmentWith advances in renewable energy technology, decentralized and community scale energy projects are becoming more common. Rural and remote communities have unique interests in renewable energy as a source of revenue and a cost-saving measure to alleviate dependencies on more expensive alternatives. Other communities are interested in renewable energy as a component of sustainability objectives or as an opportunity to demonstrate innovation. Given these motivations, community energy is gaining interest. In this report, we define community energy and provide brief descriptions of 26 community energy projects in western Canada. Additionally, the report provides more detail on five community projects that include solar, wind, hydroelectricity, biogas, and geothermal technologies. The report highlights the design of community projects with attention to scale, ownership structures and links to community strategic plans. Case studies also illustrate challenges including economic sustainability and resistance to decentralized energy production from larger energy providers. T03-P07 | Publication | 2019-06-21 | Andrea Kristine Miller, Sonak Patel, John R Parkins | Energy transition in Canada: Exploring the social, cultural and ethical dimensions of a changing energy landscapeEnsuring a sustainable energy future involves technical complexity, but some of the biggest challenges are social: such transitions call for new politics, investments, social norms, and landscapes. Despite technological advances, public knowledge about, and support for, energy alternatives remains quite low. Energy development proposals are often polarizing and disconnected from discussions of overall energy mix and conservation measures.
Yet together, we must create a new sense of what is needed, desirable and possible for Canada’s energy future, and map ways to get there. Social understanding is critical to making the transition successfully and democratically. This research contributes to energy transition by building on wide-ranging social science research methods, focusing on sites of energy production across Canada.
Building on 10 years of research, our work is happening at a national scale, as well as detailed cases in Peace River, AB, Mactaquac, NB, and Southern Ontario. Recent research includes analysis of wind power development in Alberta, and municipal responses to energy development alternatives at the utility and community scale. T05-P04, T03-P07 | Publication | 2020-02-18 | John R Parkins | Calgary Lecture Series; Energy Panel: To provide continuing education opportunity in Calgary that showcases excellence and innovation at the University of Albertapanel discussion (1.2 hours long) with the public (audience ~ 300 people) at the Calgary public library.T05-P02, T12-P03 University of Alberta | Activity | 2019-05-22 | | Powering Alberta’s Energy Future PanelSpeakers were invited to participate in a public panel discussion on powering Alberta's energy future as part of the Calgary Library Lecture Series. T05-P02, T10-P04 University of Alberta | Activity | 2019-05-22 | | Assessing Barriers to Renewable Energy Development in Alberta: Evidence from a Survey on Wind Energy with Rural LandownersDespite having abundant wind resources, the Province of Alberta is slow to adopt wind
energy. While recent provincial government initiatives have stimulated some new wind power
projects, progress is limited, and with new regulatory changes in recent months, progress on
renewable energy development may slow even further. What are the barriers to renewable energy
development in Alberta? This report offers some answers to this question based on survey results
from rural Albertan landowners (n = 401). The survey was implemented in early 2019 and offers
insight into the perspectives of rural landowners who are in a position to host energy
technologies on their properties. These technologies might include oil and gas wells but also
emerging technologies such as wind turbines and solar panels. Within the report we explore key
barriers to the adoption of wind energy infrastructure in Alberta. An energy market analysis and
literature review reveal few technical barriers, as there is sufficient capacity in the southern
region, where wind feasibility is highest. The published literature also points to economic
barriers related to price uncertainty, the competitiveness of other energy sources, and policy
instability. Looking more closely at social barriers, evidence from the survey indicates that
landowners are sharply divided in their support for the further development of wind farms in the
province. Many concerns stem from a lack of knowledge about wind infrastructure impacts, as
well as issues with the procedures for implementing wind development and the distribution of
benefits. Encouraging and facilitating future development of wind projects in Alberta will
require that proponents highlight the environmental and economic benefits of wind farms and
focus on providing benefits to local communities. T03-P07 | Publication | 2020-05-01 | Sonak Patel, John R Parkins | Alberta landowner acceptance of wind energy developments – A factorial survey experimentAlberta is an energy powerhouse, but support for renewable energy is weak, especially in rural areas where most energy production is located. Energy development is also large scale, with limited attention to smaller-scale and community-based projects. Given this context, our recent work in Alberta asks two key questions: Why are Albertan's resistant to renewable energy projects and how can we (re)design such projects to enhance energy transition? Drawing on insights from a factorial experiment survey (n = 401) with large-scale landowners, we seek to answer these questions. Statistical models are informed by concepts in procedural and distributive justice, with attention to the role of local ownership, inclusion and influence as a factors leading to more support for wind farms among Alberta landowners.T03-P07 | Activity | 2020-11-20 | John R Parkins | Beyond NIMBY: Designing the Future of Community-Based Renewable Energy in AlbertaAlberta is an energy powerhouse, but support for renewable energy is weak, especially in rural areas where most energy production is located. Energy development is also large scale, with limited attention to smaller-scale and community-based projects. Given this context, our recent work in Alberta asks two key questions: Why are Albertan's resistant to renewable energy projects and how can we (re)design such projects to enhance energy transition? Drawing on recent research, including in-depth case studies and a factorial experiment survey (n = 401) with large-scale landowners, we seek to answer these questions. Consistent with social science evidence that NIMBY is not an adequate explanation for public resistance to energy projects, results illustrate concerns about the behaviour of wind power project proponents and a desire for more local ownership structures, such as cooperatives. This presentation identifies insights that extend beyond conventional reasons for public opposition to energy projects.T03-P07 | Activity | 2020-10-30 | John R Parkins | From Resistance to Acceptance of Wind Farms in AlbertaAlberta is an energy powerhouse, but support for renewable energy is weak, especially in rural areas where most energy production is located. Energy development is also (till now) large scale, with limited attention to smaller-scale and community-based projects. Given this context, our recent work in Alberta asks two key questions: Why are Albertans resistant to renewable energy projects and how can we (re)design such projects to enhance energy transition? Drawing on insights from in-depth interviews with rural landowners and a survey (n = 401) of large-scale landowners, we seek to answer these questions. Analysis is informed by concepts in procedural and distributive justice, with attention to the role of local ownership, inclusion and influence as factors leading to more support for wind farms among Alberta landowners. T03-P07 | Activity | 2021-04-28 | John R Parkins | The paradox of female support for coal power: Insights on knowledge, values and trust from a survey of CanadiansCanada plans to phase out coal power by the year 2030. This transition, however, requires public support and studies indicate enduring attachments to coal, despite its harms. Using a national survey of 3000 Canadians, we focus specifically on coal support in this paper, finding (surprisingly) that women have higher mean levels of support for coal relative to men. In further analysis, we find that higher average support is driven by a greater number of neutral responses from women. We then build a set of regression models, disaggregated by gender, including knowledge, values/attitudes, trust, exposure, and demographic controls. We find that objective energy knowledge is negatively correlated with support for coal among women, and is not significantly related to support for coal among men. In addition, women are more trusting of energy-related institution than men. For women, trust in energy insiders increases support for coal, while trust in energy outsiders decreases coal support. While women have higher means for all environmental value measures used in our analysis, these values have stronger associations with coal support in the regression model for men than the model for women. In conclusion, we suggest that women in this study have lower direct knowledge and lower confidence in their knowledge, leading to their greater number of neutral responses. In contrast, men are more likely to form an opinion about coal, whether or not they are knowledgeable, and this opinion is most strongly based on environmental values. Our results suggest there is no single factor influencing perceptions of coal, and we conclude with suggestions for future research on Canada’s coal phase-out. T03-P07 | Activity | 2020-07-24 | John R Parkins | Planning a low-carbon city in a high-carbon state: The case of Edmonton, AlbertaLocated in the heart of the energy intensive Province of Alberta, the City of Edmonton is engaged in contentious debates about future energy systems. With a fossil fuel reliant electricity sector and a culture of oil and gas sector support, decarbonising the grid is critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Community energy projects have potential to make an important contribution to renewable energy development, yet they come with unique opportunities and challenges, particularly within a state-supported fossil energy sector. This case study of renewable energy planning in Edmonton employs document analysis and in-depth interviews with municipal employees, city councillors, and energy stakeholders to analyse the possibilities for energy transition. We discuss how intention varies between different decision-makers and the different sources and financing tools they are interested in deploying. Themes of environmental benefits, economic value, and social perception emerge in the thought process of municipal decision-makers. These findings are conceptualised using theory of planned behaviour and transition theory, categorising the anticipated risks and opportunities to develop renewable energy into the dimensions of socio-technical change. This research contributes to the understanding of smart cities by exploring how urban renewable projects are planned and developed. T03-P07 | Publication | 2022-04-30 | Sonak Patel, John R Parkins |
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