This article examines how political messengers influence attitudes toward renewable energy infrastructure in forest areas amid the polarized climate change debate. Focusing on wind power, a highly politicized issue, and solar energy, which is less contentious, we conducted an experimental survey in Germany with over 5,000 respondents. We assess how messages from either an environmental organization or a far-right party affect acceptance or rejection of wind and solar energy projects. Our findings reveal that the messenger significantly impacts attitudes regarding wind energy. Criticism of wind turbine expansion by an environmentalist leads to greater rejection, while similar critiques from a far-right actor result in increased acceptance. In contrast, no such influence was found for solar energy. We explain these diverging findings by differences in the politicization of both types of renewable energy. These results underscore the complexities of public and political discourse on climate action, indicating that framing renewable energy projects through different political lenses can shape public sentiment.
