TODAY’S STUDY: MEETING THE OBJECTIONS TO WIND Social Acceptance of Wind Energy; Managing and Evaluating its Market Impacts Ian Baring-Gould, et. al., June 5, 2012 (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Background

As with any industrial-scale technology, wind power has impacts.

• As wind technology deployment becomes more widespread, a defined opposition will form as a result of fear of change and competing energy technologies.

• Regardless of cost and performance, wind projects have been halted due to deployment barriers.

• As the easy-to-deploy sites are developed, the costs of developing at sites with deployment barriers will increase, therefore increasing the total cost of power.

• understanding of the impacts wind development has on host communities and residents. Responsible development requires a true • Industry, governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders must make the effort to provide communities with the information needed to assess these impacts.

• Although the costs of addressing barriers to wind deployment are considered in the total cost, the true size and potential impact of these costs must be better quantified and understood.

• We do not know how these deployment barriers impact national development models, such as 20% wind by 2030.

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Wind Project Development

As wind energy is implemented in an area: oChange can be perceived as threatening.

* Public objectives can conflict with expanded development.

* Stakeholders can feel threatened by new options.

Siting and public decision-makers need: oAn accurate and objective understanding of the issues

* A consistent set of standards or knowledge on which to base decisions.

Siting and public decision-makers face: oConflicting info, competing claims, valid and baseless concerns

* An absence of independent (scientific, peer-reviewed) information

* A chaotic brew of fact, opinion, fear, hyperbole, disinformation, misinformation, or misunderstanding of complex systems.

Passing bylaws, ordinances, and moratoriums provide: oTime to make well-considered choices OR

* A means by which to preclude or delay proposed projects.

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Wind Development Stakeholders

Proponents

* Their viewpoints often are perceived as having commercial interest.

* They may exaggerate the project benefits or downplay the impacts.

Undecided

* They include open-minded abutters, community leaders, citizens’ groups with a “what’s in it for me?” or “how will this impact me?” attitude.

* Typically most of the people in the community fall into this category, at least initially.

* They will be swayed to one side and, once decided, fall into those camps.

Opponents

* They may be “skeptics” who support wind but want it developed responsibly and don't want to be taken advantage of by another extractive industry; may require a high burden of proof.

* They may have “character of place” concerns and be in favor of wind but not here.

* They may be ideologically opposed, viewing wind as not having any potentially positive benefits. They are increasingly sophisticated and networked, often from outside of the community. They use tactics ranging from legitimate questions to rhetorically brilliant disinformation.

Provide the proponents with accurate information (manage expectations). Engage the undecided with accurate and credible information while they are still willing to critically assess that information.

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Key Takeaway Points

Perception is reality; few people have experience with wind technology.

Small minorities, nationally or in proximity to a project, may have undesirable impacts thrust upon them.

The media may need to be managed.

Avoid surprises. Manage expectations.

A real need exists for an independent source of credible, objective info (although “objective” is in the eye of the beholder), as well as objective research to enable informed decisions.

Combat uncertainty with facts. Understand that opponents often cultivate uncertainty (e.g., health impacts) to force consideration.

An entrenched industry will not easily give up ground. Consider the climate debate as an example of what to expect.

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DOE Outreach Strategy

Educate, engage, and enable critical stakeholders to make informed decisions about how wind energy contributes to the U.S. electricity supply

Disseminate accurate and needed information

Build and support a diverse partner network

Continually evaluate effectiveness.

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To the extent possible, expand Web-based education and outreach. Offer a wind information portal and maximize visibility of what we create.

•Publish WPA e-newsletter (~8,000 subscribers)

•Publish extensive webinar/podcast series, addressing many wind deployment issues; archive episodes for later reference

•Support regional stakeholder groups and networks

•Maintain consolidated Web pages

•Develop success stories, lessons learned, and fact sheets

•Host Annual All-States Summit for state and industry leaders

•Expand low-cost options for information dissemination

•Develop wind resource information for state users in different applications

•Expand the nation’s educational infrastructure through workforce development and the Wind for Schools project

•Plan regional and technical workshops to bring people together

•Provide technical support to Wind Working Groups.

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Quantification of Deployment Barriers and Costs in the Continental United States

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Conclusions: It Will Get Harder Before It Gets Easier

The industry is only beginning the development cycle to becoming a major energy market player.

As wind deployment increases, the headwinds will increase as well.

There is a role for all organizations in moving deployment forward; however, different organizations have different roles, and these roles must be understood.

There are right ways and wrong ways to conduct stakeholder engagement; learn the right ways.

These barriers have cost and deployment impacts; failing to address them will also have a (likely larger) industry-wide cost.

The discussion has become sophisticated and in some regions heated; assuming people are NIMBYs is not sufficient.

There are multiple levels in the social acceptance discussion that must be addressed, from national to local.

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