From Local Grievances to Regional Resistance: Analyzing the Diffusion of Geothermal Power Plant Protests in the Turkish Aegean

Dogu, Burak

This study examines mobilizations against renewable energy projects, which are widely seen as critical for mitigating climate change. Specifically, it focuses on the protest movements against geothermal power plants (GPP) in Turkey’s Aegean Region, which began in two villages around 2013 and quickly spread to numerous others within a few years. The research has two key objectives: first, to understand the factors driving the emergence and regional diffusion of these protests, and second, to analyze the impact of this diffusion on the movements themselves as well as on renewable energy and climate policies. Using document analysis and fieldwork, the study investigates seven protest movements from various locations, as well as two outlier cases where no protests occurred despite the presence of GPP projects. This comparative approach provides a broader understanding of why some areas mobilized against renewable energy projects while others did not. Grounded in processual social movement theories, the research explores both structural and movement-related factors. It considers political and economic structures—such as state policies, capital accumulation dynamics, and the regional political economy—as well as the social, political, economic, and cultural characteristics of local communities where protests emerged. Additionally, it examines the role of protest actors, including local leaders and external supporters, in spreading resistance.The study assesses how the diffusion of protests shaped individual movements across different locations, particularly whether it resulted in a "scale shift," expanding the protests from local to regional or national levels. It also examines whether and how the spread of protests influenced renewable energy and climate policies and practices. By integrating these insights, the study offers a deeper understanding of how climate policies can trigger local resistance, how this resistance spreads and evolves, and the dynamics of protest diffusion and its impact on climate-related policies and practices.