Issue: Wind

Recent polling demonstrates broad support for wind energy in individual states, like Oklahoma and Indiana; across regions like the Mid-Atlantic and Inter-mountain West; as well as nationwide. However, opposition to wind energy in parts of the country is expanding.
As advocates, sometimes we discuss the promise of wind energy without a full understanding of what a significant ramp-up of wind power really looks like, and how it might impact communities where turbines are sited. By the end of 2015, 1.4 million U.S. homes were located within 5 miles of a utility-scale wind power project. As that number continues to grow, so does the importance for those of us enthusiastically evangelizing wind energy to understand the attitudes and opinions of those folks most impacted by its expansion.
This week we look at a recent survey of individuals living near U.S. wind power projects by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which reveals insights into how U.S. communities are reacting to the deployment of wind turbines.