Public and local policymaker preferences for large-scale energy project characteristics

Holly Caggiano, Sara M. Constantino, Chris Greig, Elke U. Weber

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Rapidly building utility-scale energy infrastructure requires not only public support but also political will across levels of government. Here we use a conjoint experiment to assess preferences for large-scale energy projects among residents and local elected officials in Pennsylvania—a key transition state with high solar potential where siting authority rests at the local level. We find that residents prefer solar to other energy projects, and job creation and cooperative community ownership are associated with increased support. Public and elected official support decreases when projects are owned by foreign companies. We find limited partisan differences in preferences, suggesting a path towards bipartisan support for such projects. Elected officials misperceive their constituents’ preferences, underestimating support for renewable energy and the importance of job creation. As local officials are key decision-makers regarding infrastructure development, their preferences and perceptions of constituents’ preferences may dictate which energy projects are approved and what community benefits they deliver.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1230-1240
Number of pages11
JournalNature Energy
Volume9
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2024
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
  • Fuel Technology
  • Energy Engineering and Power Technology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Public and local policymaker preferences for large-scale energy project characteristics'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this