U.S. Invests $9.5 Million to Study the Social Dynamics of Large-Scale Solar Siting & Permitting

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Analysis will determine progressive practices that profit communities and facilitate photo voltaic deployment

WASHINGTON D.C. — The U.S. Division of Vitality (DOE) right now invested $9.5 million in 4 new tasks supporting social science analysis that examines the ways in which siting practices can affect public attitudes towards and allowing of large-scale photo voltaic amenities. The analysis will generate actionable insights that enhance outcomes for host communities—significantly these which are underserved—and the photo voltaic business. This work helps DOE’s aim to realize 100% clear electrical energy by 2035, which requires deploying tons of of gigawatts of photo voltaic capability within the subsequent 10 years.

“Solar energy can support regional sustainability goals, unlock stronger economies, and increase access to reliable and affordable clean energy resources,” stated Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Vitality Effectivity and Renewable Vitality. “These projects will support DOE’s commitment to helping communities across the nation make informed decisions about their own energy needs and ensure projects provide meaningful benefits to the host community.”

Based on analysis from the Lawrence Berkeley Nationwide Laboratory revealed this 12 months, photo voltaic venture builders say community opposition is among the many high three main causes of venture cancellations and that it has ramped up within the final 5 years. One other research discovered that, in communities inside three miles of a venture, positive attitudes toward local large-scale solar projects outnumber damaging attitudes by almost a three-to-one margin. These analysis tasks will advance understanding of those social dynamics and allow communities and builders to search out options that profit host communities, photo voltaic builders, and the local weather.

The organizations receiving funding below the Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies 4 (SEEDS 4) program embrace:

• Michigan State College (East Lansing, Michigan): Researchers will consider the potential to hurry up large-scale photo voltaic siting and allowing processes whereas additionally decreasing neighborhood burdens and bettering procedural justice and power fairness. The venture will research ten large-scale tasks in 4 completely different areas of the nation. (Award quantity: $2.5 million)
• Princeton College (Princeton, New Jersey): Researchers will assess the potential for Community Benefit Agreements—authorized agreements between neighborhood teams and large-scale photo voltaic builders—to ship tangible advantages to communities, construct credibility in photo voltaic tasks, and strengthen belief throughout stakeholder teams. (Award quantity: $2 million)
• Photo voltaic and Storage Industries Institute (Washington, D.C.): This venture will leverage the stakeholder-driven Solar Uncommon Dialogueconvened by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Setting, Photo voltaic Vitality Industries Affiliation, and The Nature Conservancy, to determine progressive neighborhood engagement practices for siting and allowing large-scale photo voltaic tasks and consider their affect on outcomes for host communities and the photo voltaic business. (Award quantity: $2.5 million)
• College of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania): Researchers will consider how completely different siting practices form neighborhood help for large-scale photo voltaic tasks and the way these dynamics differ throughout various kinds of communities. (Award quantity: $2.5 million)

The SEEDS 4 funding program is funded by DOE’s Photo voltaic Vitality Applied sciences Workplace within the Workplace of Vitality Effectivity and Renewable Vitality.

From the U.S. Department of Energy.