The continued growth of utility-scale wind energy in the U.S. depends on identifying suitable resource potential, transmission capacity, and communities willing to host turbines. While previous research on the social acceptance of wind energy primarily relied on case studies, resident surveys, and reviews of development practices, this study introduced a new method. The researchers conducted a wind contention survey of energy professionals (n = 46) to assess opposition to 69 existing wind farms across four U.S. Midwest states. They identified key characteristics—such as agricultural practices, land use, and demographics—that influenced community support or opposition to wind farm development. Using publicly available data, the researchers modeled these characteristics with wind farm contention as the dependent variable. The analysis revealed that communities with a higher proportion of production-oriented farming and fewer natural amenities tended to show less opposition to wind farm development. Interestingly, communities with a greater percentage of Republican voters in the 2016 Presidential election also demonstrated less opposition. While this study does not diminish the importance of best practices in community engagement, stakeholder development, and participatory decision-making, it offers valuable insights for developers to anticipate potential community reactions when considering new wind farm sites.

Research Article: Farmers vs. lakers: Agriculture, amenity, and community in predicting opposition to United States wind energy development