Are rural places prepared for the energy transition? An evaluation of land use plans in rural Manitoba.

As energy systems transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources, energy infrastructure will become a predominant land use, especially in rural areas. This poses a challenge for municipalities who need to adapt land use planning frameworks to more renewable energy. Using plan quality evaluation, this paper assesses how 57 rural official plans in Manitoba (Canada) are attempting to integrate energy planning. Consideration of energy within plans is poor, especially for implementation mechanisms and fact base. While rural communities are the forefront of the energy transition, existing land use planning frameworks are maladapted to enable it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]