Condicionantes e Justiça na estruturação de uma paisagem eólica na Bahia

Abstract

: In Bahia, wind energy has become the second most important source in Brazil’s electrical matrix. However, the expansion of wind farms has profoundly transformed the landscape, especially in the elevated relief areas of the Caatinga, historically regarded as “idle” lands. This article analyzes the determinants guiding the selection and configuration of the wind landscape in Bahia, articulating technical, socioeconomic, political, and cultural criteria with the discussion on Landscape Justice. The methodology involved documentary research on energy auctions and questionnaires applied to three wind energy companies, identifying 23 factors grouped into four categories: physical, socioeconomic, governance, and cultural. These factors were evaluated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and linked to the dimensions of domination and exclusion. The results indicate that site selection is driven by multiple determinants: wind speed, distance from protected areas, proximity to access roads, and land regularization. Fiscal incentives, energy transmission infrastructure, and the absence of traditional communities and archaeological sites also stand out. The discussion on Landscape Justice reveals that the production of the wind landscape, marked by selective spatial practices, reproduces inequalities and (in)justices inherent to the capitalist model.