Renewable Energy Siting in the US: How Civic Capacity and Diffusion Shape Energy Justice

• In Event: Dimensions of Justice in the U.S. Clean Energy Transition

Abstract

As renewable energy infrastructure continues to expand across the U.S., community opposition has become a major challenge, leading to project delays and cancellations. While it is often seen as NIMBYism (Not In My Back Yard), opposition reflects conflicts arising from different interpretations of new technologies and social realities among various stakeholders. Local acceptance tends to be higher when residents receive tailored compensation, opportunities for shared ownership, or when the decision-making process is transparent and inclusive—conditions that align with the principles of procedural justice. 

Despite this, the existing literature largely concentrates on local opposition and provides limited insight into the influence of external contextual factors. This paper investigates whether higher levels of civic capacity affect the size of solar and wind power plants, not only within individual communities but also in neighboring jurisdictions. The capacity to evaluate potential risks and benefits, mobilize resources, and negotiate with project developers may serve as a key determinant in realizing procedural justice.

This study analyzes diffusion effects in both constructed power plants and civic capacity within and across contiguous U.S. counties by utilizing spatial econometric models, which capture direct and indirect effects that ordinary least squares regression cannot. The dependent variables are solar and wind power plant capacity per capita at a county level. The primary independent variables include higher education attainment, nonprofit organization density, income, and unemployment rate. The models also incorporate the percentage of Black and Hispanic populations as independent variables to account for systemic discrimination and institutional barriers in the decision-making process. Data were obtained from the U.S. Census and the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The results indicate that communities with low nonprofit organization density and low higher education attainment are more likely to have larger solar facilities. In contrast, nonprofit density is positively related to the size of wind farms, while income levels are negatively associated. Educational attainment in the solar models and income in the wind models negatively impact the capacity of power plants in adjacent counties. Moreover, communities with a higher proportion of Hispanic residents are more likely to host larger solar and wind power plants, whereas the proportion of Black residents shows limited association with plant size. These findings highlight the inequality in power plant siting caused by the absence of policies regarding the siting decision process and underscore the importance of integrating justice considerations into siting decisions, suggesting the necessity of advisory policies for fair participation. By applying spatial econometric approaches, this study contributes to the diffusion literature by examining the influence of non-governmental actors and capturing the dual dimensions of diffusion—civic capacity as an input and power plant capacity as an outcome.

Author

• Joohyun Ryu, University of Arizona
  Presenting Author