New research reveals that 82% of people living near large-scale solar farms support or are neutral towards new projects in their area. This finding challenges the “Not In My Backyard” stereotype, potentially paving the way for more extensive solar energy infrastructure.
Contrary to the traditional belief that people might resist having renewable energy plants in their vicinity, a new study suggests strong support or neutrality towards such developments among those already living near them.
Published in Frontiers in Sustainable Energy Policy, the research has found that an impressive 82% of respondents residing within a one-hour walk of large-scale solar installations support or are neutral about additional solar projects in their communities.
“Most neighbors of existing large-scale solar projects either support or feel neutral about additional projects in or near their communities, with only 18% opposing it,” co-author Sarah Mills, an associate professor of practice and the director of the Center for EmPowering Communities at the University of Michigan’s Graham Sustainability Institute, said in a news release. “Just as has been documented for wind energy, we found that the NIMBY — not in my backyard — explanation for opposition to solar was overly simplistic and unhelpful in explaining neighbors’ sentiments.”
The Survey
The U.S. currently houses over 4,000 large-scale solar energy plants, each capable of generating more than a megawatt of electricity.
Some projections indicate that the nation could potentially ramp up its solar capacity by an additional 70 gigawatts annually over the next decade — translating to approximately 1,650 new projects each year.
The successful realization of this green transition hinges on how these solar plants impact their host communities.
To delve deeper, the researchers circulated surveys among residents living within three miles of solar projects installed between 2017 and 2021, inquiring about their support for future projects and experience living close to existing ones.
This comprehensive effort yielded 979 responses from individuals near 379 projects ranging from one to 328 megawatts across 39 states.
“Large-scale solar projects require approximately five to eight acres of land per MW,” Mills added. “The projects we studied were on average about 400 acres. But some were over 2,000 acres, or three square miles.”
Green Light for Growth
The results were promising: 43% of respondents felt positively about their local solar project, 42% were neutral, and only 15% felt negatively.
Support levels for new solar projects mirrored these sentiments closely: 43% of respondents would support new projects, 39% were neutral, and 18% would oppose them.
To determine the factors influencing support, the study employed two models — one focusing on objective variables and the other including subjective perceptions of quality of life and aesthetics.
Objective factors, such as project size and installation date, showed weak correlations with support.
Conversely, subjective factors, particularly the perceived impact on community quality of life, were more influential.
An interesting finding was that residents more familiar with existing projects were less likely to support additional ones.
“We can’t be certain that more familiarity causes lower support for additional solar,” added Mills. “Rather, we find that more familiarity is correlated with lower support. Our hypothesis is that residents who see the project more regularly feel that their community already hosts their fair share of infrastructure.”
Surprisingly, many residents were unaware of nearby solar projects until receiving the survey, indicating a gap in community engagement from developers. This insight is crucial for future efforts to build renewable energy infrastructure, suggesting that better communication and community involvement can foster support for new developments.
Future Research and Implications
Mills emphasized that this study captures only a snapshot in time and advocated for longitudinal research to observe changes in community perceptions across the various development phases of large-scale energy projects.
“We strongly encourage future work to conduct longitudinal social science research — for example, to collect data throughout the planning, development, construction and operational phases of large-scale energy plants,” she added.
Source: Frontiers