RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 When Energy Issues are Land Use Issues: Estimating Preferences for Utility-Scale Solar Energy Siting
JF Land Economics
JO Land Econ
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 111221-0130R1
DO 10.3368/le.99.3.111221-0130R1
A1 Vasundhara Gaur
A1 Corey Lang
A1 Gregory Howard
A1 Ruth Quainoo
YR 2022
UL http://le.uwpress.org/content/early/2022/11/17/le.99.3.111221-0130R1.abstract
AB While solar energy receives broad support in general, utility-scale solar arrays can be contentious because at the siting stage it becomes a land use issue replete with potential disamenities and tradeoffs. We conduct a choice experiment survey to estimate preferences for attributes of utility-scale solar arrays in Rhode Island, USA. Our results suggest the largest indicator of solar development approval is prior land use, with residents willing to pay an additional $10-21 in monthly utility bills for developments in commercial, industrial, brownfield, and covered landfill areas, and $13-49 to avoid developments on farm and forest land.