Record Details
Wind Energy in Solano County
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | Wind Energy in Solano County |
| Names |
Kelly, Anna C.
(creator) Steel, Brent S. (advisor) |
| Date Issued | 2015-04-22 (iso8601) |
| Note | Graduation date: 2015 |
| Abstract | While the U.S. energy portfolio increasingly includes renewables, social acceptance of such technologies can pose an important challenge for developers. Using survey data from a random sample of nearby households (n=524), content analysis of coverage in local newspapers, and interviews with various stakeholders (n=14), I explore local social acceptance of wind farms in two California counties that have experienced several large-scale developments in the last decade (Contra Costa and Solano). There is nation-wide controversy surrounding an extension of a Golden Eagle take-permit (kill tag) granted to Solano County wind developers. Unlike previous studies that describe tense battles between impacted communities and developers, wind farms in these two counties engendered minimal local opposition. I show a case where urban growth restrictions influenced successful large-scale wind development. These growth restrictions led to considerable geographic distance between Solano County cities and the wind development. The only local controversy I found came from the Travis Air Force base in Solano County, which imposed three separate moratoriums on wind development due to incompatibility with their operative mission. I use the concepts of distributional and procedural justice to show how the wind developers and landowners worked with the community. The interviews and surveys show evidence of local acceptance of wind development, and suggest that individuals in the county perceive wind development as a positive aspect of their community. This work provides important insights for government officials and energy developers in terms of effective strategies for renewable energy development. |
| Genre | Research Paper |
| Topic | Wind Energy |
| Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/1957/55781 |
