Accelerating Authorizations vs. Public Participation in the Decision-Making Chain of Renewable Hydrogen in Germany and Spain: a Dilemma

In order to accelerate the planning of renewable energy projects, the European Union and the Member States attribute legal constructs like ‘overriding public interest’ or ‘general or public interest’ to individual energy projects such as renewable hydrogen infrastructure. The aim of these constructs is to accelerate the authorization process. However, this is often at the expense of public participation, which creates an acceleration dilemma: Attempts to accelerate planning could provoke more resistance from the public, potentially slowing down the development and uptake of climate policies.