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Exploring and Contextualizing Public Opposition to Renewable Electricity in the United States

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  • Benjamin K. Sovacool

    (Energy Governance Program, Centre on Asia and Globalisation, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, 469C Bukit Timah Road, 259772, Singapore)

Abstract

This article explores public opposition to renewable power technologies in the United States. It begins by discussing the genesis of environmental ethics, or how some Americans have come to place importance on the protection of the environment and preservation of species, ecosystems, and the biosphere. As result, renewable power systems have become challenged on ethical and environmental grounds and are occasionally opposed by local communities and environmentalists. The article finds that, however, such concern may be misplaced. Renewable electricity resources have many environmental benefits compared to power stations fueled by coal, oil, natural gas, and uranium. Opposition towards renewable resources can at times obscure the true costs and risks associated with electricity use and entrench potential racial and class-based inequalities within the current energy system.

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin K. Sovacool, 2009. "Exploring and Contextualizing Public Opposition to Renewable Electricity in the United States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 1(3), pages 1-20, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:1:y:2009:i:3:p:702-721:d:5796
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    Cited by:

    1. Susskind, Lawrence & Chun, Jungwoo & Gant, Alexander & Hodgkins, Chelsea & Cohen, Jessica & Lohmar, Sarah, 2022. "Sources of opposition to renewable energy projects in the United States," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    2. Jacqueline Hettel Tidwell & Abraham Tidwell & Steffan Nelson, 2018. "Surveying the Solar Power Gap: Assessing the Spatial Distribution of Emerging Photovoltaic Solar Adoption in the State of Georgia, U.S.A," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-16, November.
    3. Jesse D. Young & Nathaniel M. Anderson & Helen T. Naughton, 2018. "Influence of Policy, Air Quality, and Local Attitudes toward Renewable Energy on the Adoption of Woody Biomass Heating Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-24, October.
    4. Mahmure Övül Arıoğlu Akan & Ayşe Ayçim Selam & Seniye Ümit Oktay Fırat & Merve Er Kara & Semih Özel, 2015. "A Comparative Analysis of Renewable Energy Use and Policies: Global and Turkish Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(12), pages 1-29, December.
    5. Aklin, Michaël, 2021. "Do high electricity bills undermine public support for renewables? Evidence from the European Union," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    6. Carlisle, Juliet E. & Kane, Stephanie L. & Solan, David & Bowman, Madelaine & Joe, Jeffrey C., 2015. "Public attitudes regarding large-scale solar energy development in the U.S," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 835-847.
    7. Simona Bigerna & Paolo Polinori, 2015. "Assessing the Determinants of Renewable Electricity Acceptance Integrating Meta-Analysis Regression and a Local Comprehensive Survey," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(9), pages 1-24, August.
    8. Enevoldsen, Peter & Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2016. "Examining the social acceptance of wind energy: Practical guidelines for onshore wind project development in France," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 178-184.
    9. Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Lakshmi Ratan, Pushkala, 2012. "Conceptualizing the acceptance of wind and solar electricity," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(7), pages 5268-5279.
    10. A. C. (Thanos) Bourtsalas & Tianxiao Shen & Yixi Tian, 2022. "A Comprehensive Assessment of Products Management and Energy Recovery from Waste Products in the United States," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-20, September.
    11. Joshua M. Pearce, 2022. "Agrivoltaics in Ontario Canada: Promise and Policy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-20, March.
    12. Sward, Jeffrey A. & Nilson, Roberta S. & Katkar, Venktesh V. & Stedman, Richard C. & Kay, David L. & Ifft, Jennifer E. & Zhang, K. Max, 2021. "Integrating social considerations in multicriteria decision analysis for utility-scale solar photovoltaic siting," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
    13. Moragues-Faus, Ana M. & Ortiz-Miranda, Dionisio, 2010. "Local mobilisation against windfarm developments in Spanish rural areas: New actors in the regulation arena," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(8), pages 4232-4240, August.
    14. Uzair Jamil & Abigail Bonnington & Joshua M. Pearce, 2023. "The Agrivoltaic Potential of Canada," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-26, February.
    15. Uzair Jamil & Joshua M. Pearce, 2022. "Energy Policy for Agrivoltaics in Alberta Canada," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-31, December.
    16. Jacqueline Hettel Tidwell & Abraham Tidwell & Steffan Nelson & Marcus Hill, 2018. "SolarView: Georgia Solar Adoption in Context," Data, MDPI, vol. 3(4), pages 1-12, December.
    17. Pascaris1, Alexis S. & Schelly, Chelsea & Rouleau, Mark & Pearce, Joshua M., 2021. "Do Agrivoltaics Improve Public Support for Solar Photovoltaic Development? Survey Says: Yes!," SocArXiv efasx, Center for Open Science.
    18. Chelsea Schelly & Don Lee & Elise Matz & Joshua M. Pearce, 2021. "Applying a Relationally and Socially Embedded Decision Framework to Solar Photovoltaic Adoption: A Conceptual Exploration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-18, January.

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