The dynamics between rural actors and national goals in Nordic green transitions Renewable energy projects, with their considerable demand on land use, are rapidly changing the Nordic rural landscapes. At the same time, many people living in the impact area of new instalments feel that national green transition policies put a disproportionately heavy toll on rural people. The resulting sense of powerlessness leads to a heavy resistance that is difficult to solve when a project is already underway. How can we ensure that national and local policymakers recognise the potency of rural actors and engage them in a meaningful manner? How could they create policies that help harness the potential of green transitions instead of dumping them on rural areas in a top-down manner?