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Abstract
Social and anthropological studies show a growing number of conflicts surrounding energy projects, as governments and companies insist on their implementation despite the concerns of local actors about their perceived socio-environmental risks. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to analyse the politicisation of expertise and certifications in a conflict over the construction of a combined cycle power plant by linking strategic assumptions from two particular sociological approaches. The first approach is based on the study of frame alignment in social movement organisations and the second on the translating interests in actor–network theory. These linked premises are examined in the conflict arising from the construction of a combined cycle natural gas plant in Boroa, in the Basque Country of Spain. This case study brings to light interesting findings on the strategies of the different agencies, certifications, politicisation of expertise and the increasing hostility in local conflicts.
Acknowledgements
This paper was supported by Ministry of Education and Universities of the Basque Country (BFI04.315 mod AE) and Conicyt-Chile (PBCT N. 79090019).
Notes
1. The Basque Government (BG), the provincial council of Biscay and the municipality of Amorebieta-Echano are still run by the so-called jetzales, who are members of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) which is Catholic in origin. From 1999 to the end of this case study, the BG was led by Juan José Ibarretxe, who governed in a coalition with the Basque nationalist party Eusko Alkartasuna.
2. Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (Euskadi and freedom) is a socialist revolutionary organisation aimed at Basque National Liberation. Given its policy of armed force and acts of violence over the last 40 years, the organisation has been catalogued as one of the toughest terrorist groups in the world (Criado Citation2011). Its repeated declarations of ceasefires gave ETA greater political support for its demands, especially from the izquierda abertzale parties, and a notable increase in the number of workers employed by Basque manufacturers (Colino Citation2012). In January 2011, ETA declared a unilateral, unconditional ceasefire which it is hoped will be the last.
3. In relation to this, in her study on resistance to the installation of liquid gas power plants along the US coast, Schaffer points out how important certification was to become for the extension of mobilisation frames, that is, how joint participation by experts, lawyers and legislators gave the movement legitimacy and extended local mobilisations to a national level (Schaffer Citation2011).
4. By the time the project first began requesting the EIA, BG had already planned a dramatic increase in CCGTs in the Basque Country. In November 2001, the atmospheric impact of generating 2890 MW of electricity was analysed. The amount was three times higher than the strategic objectives of 855 MW by 2005.
5. This included a town information office, an internet platform, a call centre, audio-visual information, informative brochures, and the financing and organising of trips for individuals and associations to their plants in Ireland and England. The ESB also promoted their academic and sport sponsorship plans whereby students were invited to take part in a competition on energy and the environment.
6. The fact that the turnout was less than 50% of the population could be due to the success of PNV strategies that focused on energy independence and the environmental improvements made to the project. Nonetheless, and as indicated by Larrinaga (Citation2006, p. 226), the results of these referendums in Europe do not generally have absolute majorities and therefore there are different criteria to consider them legitimate and binding.
7. Comprising more than 50 people, among them 3 mayors from neighbouring towns, IU/EB members of parliament, town councillors, union representatives, academics, lawyers, people related to culture and the arts, local associations and so on. Hilero bulletin: “Referéndum April 14”, March 2002.
8. Each of the environmental procedures was managed separately. The plant, fuel and gas systems were reviewed by the Central Government of Spain, while the transmission lines and land use were overseen by Basque autonomous authorities.
9. First, the 10 metre rule was to apply to all areas; second, the way of measuring height was to include several elements; and third that the principle or the general rule of the right and the obligation to build takes precedence. In this way, any administrative intervention must be favourable to individual freedom. This argument was interpreted from the ruling of the Supreme Tribunal of 12 April 1985, art. 2203 and from 12 December 1991, art. 9740.
10. See for reference.