Wind Energy for the people

In 2019, 2 windfarms with a capacity of 500MW were bought to be installed in La Guajira, Colombia, a place with enormous wind resource potential, with mean wind speeds of over 11 m/s, a place that would be a great example for projects that contribute to the energy transition. Right? Except that 5 years later, the wind turbines are still stored and now waiting to be sold to the highest bidder, due to the cancellation of the project after many delays and complications. One of the main reasons for this was the local indigenous communities’ resistance to the project, since they felt that they were not getting fair compensation for the installation of the turbines according to the economic benefits that they would bring to the energy company. This is only one example of many projects like this, were the needs of the local people are not being met and concerns not being heard. The energy transition will not be possible without coordination between governments and companies and a fair, organized way of obtaining social licenses.