The distribution of conflict and attention across energy infrastructure
| Published date | 01 September 2023 |
| Author | Jongeun You,Tanya Heikkila,Christopher M. Weible,Serena Kim,Kyudong Park,Jill Yordy,Sharon L. Smolinski |
| Date | 01 September 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12842 |
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The distribution of conflict and attention across
energy infrastructure
Jongeun You
1
| Tanya Heikkila
1
| Christopher M. Weible
1
|
Serena Kim
1
| Kyudong Park
2
| Jill Yordy
1
|
Sharon L. Smolinski
1
1
School of Public Affairs, University of
Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
2
Department of Public Administration,
Kwangwoon University, Seoul, South Korea
Correspondence
Jongeun You, School of Public Affairs,
University of Colorado Denver, 1380
Lawrence St., Ste. 500, P.O. Box 173364,
Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA.
Email: jongeun.you@ucdenver.edu
Funding information
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Grant/Award
Number: 2017-9920
Abstract
Across the world, public administration and policy decisions
are related to diverse levels of conflict and attention. How-
ever, the degree and variance of conflict and attention
remain largely unspecified. This article examines how types
of energy infrastructure and characteristics of project loca-
tion are associated with the distribution of conflict and
attention around the energy infrastructure siting process.
Our empirical focus is on gas pipelines, electricity transmis-
sion lines, solar power projects, and wind power projects
across the United States in 2018. Primarily relying on
regression analysis and interviews, this article finds differ-
ences in the distribution of conflict and attention intensity
within and between these energy infrastructure types, with
gas pipelines and wind power projects presenting relatively
higher conflict and attention intensities. However, conflict
and attention are skewed to low intensities across infra-
structure types. Characteristics of project locations that are
positively associated with high conflict and attention inten-
sity include the proportion of Democratic voters and the
level of urbanization in the places where projects are sited.
In contrast, the proportion of Black or Hispanic residents is
negatively associated with high conflict and attention
intensity.
Received: 2 June 2021 Revised: 7 February 2022 Accepted: 18 February 2022
DOI: 10.1111/padm.12842
Public Admin. 2023;101:1033–1054. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/padm © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 1033
1|INTRODUCTION
Many decisions in public administration, management, and policy involve conflicts or disagreements among inter-
ested actors about proposed government policies and how they should be administered. Such contentiousness arises
as governments respond to the varied wills of their people, who often envision incompatible societal outcomes
(Bice, 2020). Conflicts in policymaking and administration often attract attention from interested and affected indi-
viduals. The more attention is attracted, the more conflict expands, leading to further political mobilization that can
tip the balance of winners and losers (Schattschneider, 1960; You et al., 2022). Conflicts can also be dampened when
powerful forces suppress dissident voices (Baumgartner & Jones, 2009). The effects of conflict expansion or contrac-
tion have the potential to stop, suspend, delay, or amend activities in public administration and policy.
This article examines the distribution of conflict and attention and explains its variation in the context of energy
infrastructure siting decisions, namely for gas pipelines, electricity transmission lines, and solar and wind energy pro-
duction projects across the United States in 2018. Energy infrastructure siting is a critical public administration and
policy decision, as energy infrastructure is aging and needs modernization. This critical decision entails planning, per-
mitting, and approval processes by government agencies with engagement from many stakeholders, including project
developers and owners, regulatory and legal authorities, grid operators, community leaders, and interest groups, who
are not limited to the geographical or institutional boundaries of projects. First, we ask: How does the distribution of
the intensity of conflict and attention vary across energy infrastructure siting projects? Second, we ask: What characteris-
tics of energy infrastructure project settings are associated with differences in the intensity of conflict and attention?
Much of the research on policy conflict has focused on contentious cases that garner more public or media
attention. The proportion of decisions associated with high-intensity versus low-intensity conflict and attention
remains obfuscated. Ignoring the full range of policy conflict leaves us with an incomplete theoretical understanding
of whether, where, and when public administration and policy decisions face resistance. By studying the variation in
conflict and attention intensities across multiple energy infrastructure types, rather than selecting exceptionally con-
troversial cases (e.g., Dakota Access and Keystone XL Pipelines), this article offers a generalizable approach for ana-
lyzing and comparing policy conflict across different contexts.
Studying energy infrastructure conflicts is also imperative for practical reasons. The infrastructure used for the
production and transmission of energy is essential to the economic and social wellbeing of the global society
(International Energy Agency, 2021). In most countries, however, social resistance and political dissent are present in
policy decisions about energy infrastructure siting, impacting whether and how projects are permitted and con-
structed (Haggett & Toke, 2006; Lesbirel & Shaw, 2005). Although some conflicts may ultimately be destructive,
making it difficult to achieve policy goals, others can serve constructive roles for the common good (Amason, 1996;
Kriesberg & Dayton, 2016). For example, policy conflict can forge better outcomes for traditionally powerless actors
when they fetter the preferred outcomes of powerful actors through contestation (Gaventa, 1982; Lukes, 2021).
Our analysis harnesses evidence from news and social media to assess a population of 619 U.S. energy infra-
structure projects in 2018. We also leverage county-level demographic data for each project's geographic location to
unpack how varying aspects of the setting are associated with conflict and attention. We complement the analyses
with 43 in-depth interviews of key stakeholders and policy actors who were involved in a sample of 16 projects.
2|THEORETICAL BACKGROUND AND FOUNDATION
The focus on policy conflict in the study of public administration and policy can be organized into three broad cate-
gories. The first category deals with conflict between public servants and politicians (Ebinger et al., 2019;
Mulgan, 2007). These studies typically focus on partisan politics in policymaking concerning objectivity or discretion
in the administrative agency. The second category attends to internal activities of thebureaucracy or advisory coun-
cils (Brummans et al., 2008; Gross, 2007; Willems, 2020). For instance, Gross (2007) has uncovered procedural issues
1034 YOU ET AL.
Get this document and AI-powered insights with a free trial of vLex and Vincent AI
Get Started for FreeStart Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting