A política pública de incentivo à instalação de parques eólicos na comunidade Volta do Rio (CE): uma avaliação com base na sustentabilidade

Abstract

The implementation of wind farms without proper planning and monitoring brings questions about the environmental impacts generated in the regions where they are inserted, raising questions about their implementation process. In this context, the present work aimed to evaluate the implementation of public policy to encourage the use of renewable energy sources in the community Volta do Rio, in Acaraú, Ceará, in the period 2010 to 2020. To this end we sought to verify which public policies were applied in the locality with the arrival of wind power; identify the social and environmental consequences caused by the installation of the wind farm; and analyze which economic aspects were perceived by the community with the arrival of renewable energy. This is an explanatory, descriptive, qualitative, and bibliographic research. The evaluative perspective of the policy is based on the Sustainability-Based Assessment of Public Policies (SBA), proposed by Chacon (2007) and updated by Chacon and Nascimento (2020), comprising the social, environmental, economic, and institutional policy dimensions. Bibliographic and documental material was used, as well as semi-structured questionnaires and interviews to obtain the results. In these terms, it was investigated how this policy affected the place where it was implemented, verifying which impacts were brought after the insertion of the wind power plants and analyzing if any solution was used by the public power and the companies to minimize possible damages. The results achieved showed that the policy implementation process in the investigated location needs adjustments. The fact that the policy was not built considering the interdependent aspects between the dimensions of sustainability, brings an idea that it was effectively fulfilling sustainable development, minimizing environmental damage and generating benefits for the region. However, in an evaluation that considered this condition it was possible to verify that the evils caused by the enterprise have not been minimized, nor have the environmental problems, the main objective of the program. The other factors have also not changed over the years, even with the compliance with the legal requirements regarding the authorization for installation. Thus, it was possible to conclude that wind energy, seen as an alternative to minimize the environmental damage caused by the use of non-renewable energy, can also cause relevant damage, and this needs to be considered in its planning, implementation and monitoring of policies to encourage the use of this energy source. This will ensure a fairer energy transition.