Mismatch Between Submission and Acceptance of utility-scale solar
About the project
As countries accelerate the development of renewable energy, it is important to understand what drives the acceptance of solar projects. This study looks at 236 utility-scale solar projects (larger than 1 MWp) at different stages of development.
The research combines several methods, including statistical analysis and spatial analysis, as well as a review of environmental impact reports. The goal is to identify the main factors influencing both project location and approval.
Key findings
The results show clear differences between the priorities of developers and public authorities.
Developers’ perspective:
Developers mainly focus on economic and technical factors when choosing locations. The most important elements are:
- Solar potential
- Slope
- Distance to the electricity grid
- Land cost
They also tend to avoid agricultural land due to regulations and prefer forested or already developed areas.
Public authorities’ perspective:
Approval decisions are mainly based on environmental protection.
- Biophysical integrity is the key factor for approval.
- Social characteristics of local populations have little to no influence.
- Local communities seem to play a limited role in the final decision.
Spatial patterns:
- Solar projects are strongly concentrated in specific areas.
- Since 2020, about half of the projects are located in only a small part of the territory (9%).
- This suggests that developers increasingly target areas where projects are more likely to be approved.
Conclusion
This study highlights a gap between what developers look for (economic efficiency) and what authorities prioritize (environmental protection).
This divergence creates challenges for planning and may lead to inefficiencies in project development. At the same time, the concentration of projects in specific areas raises concerns regarding energy justice and the unequal distribution of impacts across territories.
The results suggest that improving transparency in permitting processes and strengthening participatory mechanisms could help improve the development of solar energy in the future.
Access to the full article
The full article was published by Energy Policy. Reference : Bottu, C., & Lambin, E. F. (2026). Mismatch between where solar projects are proposed and approved: The case of PV acceptance in the French Alps. Energy Policy, 211, Article 115103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2026.115103