5. Conclusion 

In sum, if an area succeeds in creating a new sense of identity or a common vision that links its broader development goals with a planned energy project, it is also likely to succeed in making the more intangible benefits relevant from a local perspective. For example, a decreasing population and external demands for implementing the green transition are issues in most rural municipalities, so it would be of benefit to both policy areas to combine efforts. Some of the mechanisms listed above, from storytelling to drafting broader strategic goals, are useful in themselves, but something as simple as local (or regional) ownership can also greatly increase the local population’s sense of connection to the project while furthering the development goals of the surrounding region. An energy project managed by a larger national or international company may succeed in building some form of connection to the area’s inhabitants by demonstrating a genuine presence from the initial stages of the project. It is important to remember that public ownership is not in itself a shortcut to people experiencing justness in a green transition, as can be seen in the scepticism and open opposition that all municipal actors have had to face. Here, the importance of maintaining a realistic outlook regarding expected benefits comes up again. Instead of relying on justice arriving as a side dish of the green transition, it essentially lies in the project’s ability to feed into community building and long-term goals directly rooted in local lived realities.