Research Information System
Energy Research and Social Science, vol.137, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
This study analyzes the issue of land-use competition and the possibility of symbiotic coexistence in the context of the renewable energy transition, focusing on the critical and multidimensional socio-economic dynamics of the region where the 1350 MW photovoltaic (PV) solar power plant was established in Karapınar, Konya, Türkiye. The research is based on the hypothesis that land-use conflicts are not an inherent outcome of solar energy investments, but rather emerge when local knowledge and practices are excluded. Using the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) theoretical framework, the study employs a mixed-method approach that combines ethnographically informed longitudinal engagement with 10 households, in-depth interviews with stakeholders, and quantitative data analysis. The findings indicate that the under-panel grazing (UPG) model implemented within the Karapınar Solar Power Plant (SPP) has the potential to support pastoral livelihoods along with socio-economical sustainability within the water-energy-pasture nexus. Conducted in the Konya Closed Basin, Türkiye's most critical water-stressed region, this case study reveals that integrating traditional drought-resilient pastoral practices such as sheep grazing with modern energy technologies not only strengthens the resilience of local rural livelihoods, but also has the potential to contribute to basin-level water conservation. By proposing a context-sensitive example of a symbiotic model with potential for adaptation in other “sunbelt” regions facing similar climatic and socio-economic vulnerabilities, the study emphasizes the importance of participatory approaches that place local knowledge systems at the center of energy transition processes.