Exploratory Interview Study of Concerned Neighbors at Rural Renewable Energy Projects

Abstract

Researchers estimate we can meet around 80% of our energy needs through intermittent renewable energy resources including wind and solar. Technical and economic realities often lead these technologies to be sited in rural areas with agrarian roots. The tremendous growth of wind and solar has been met with pushback from local residents in these communities. This study employs an exploratory interview method to better understand the backgrounds and perspectives of local residents opposed to renewable energy projects in their rural communities. 27 participants at 5 sites across the Midwest were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide exploring respondents’ connections to their place, concerns about the local project, and discussions about their visions for their communities as well as the country more generally. We show that affinity for rural aesthetic and rural values that prioritized trust and self-sufficiency were a commonality among concerned neighbors at renewable energy projects. In addition to the aesthetic concerns and values mismatch between the pro-renewable energy actors and themselves, interviewees often took issue with the development process while still maintaining that the project did not belong in their community under any circumstances. The findings suggest renewable energy developers alter their practices to conform with the value framework of the residents in the communities they seek to operate in.