Bridging the Gap Between Socio‐Political and Community Acceptance of Wind Energy: Policy Insights for Sustainable Energy Development

ABSTRACT Wind energy plays an important role in achieving energy transition and sustainable development goals, yet disparities between socio‐political and community acceptance continue to hinder project implementation. Understanding this gap is essential for designing more socially responsive wind energy policies. This study conducted a questionnaire survey in Dalian, China, obtaining 342 responses from the general public and 362 from local residents living within 1 km of the wind farms. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling and multigroup analysis, we examined wind energy acceptance and its determinants, including perceived benefits, perceived risks, affective imagery, distance, environmental concern, experience, place attachment, knowledge, participation, subjective norms, and social trust. Results showed significantly higher acceptance among the general public than local residents, mainly due to a pronounced benefit–risk asymmetry and the general public's more abstract assessment of risks. For the general public, affective and social factors played a greater role through perceived benefits, whereas local residents were more strongly influenced by risk perceptions shaped by proximity and firsthand experience. These findings highlight the need to bridge the acceptance gap through more transparent communication, stronger trust‐building, clearer benefit‐sharing, and meaningful participation, thereby reinforcing sustainable development‐oriented energy governance.