The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today invested $9.5 million in four new projects to support social science research that examines the ways in which siting practices can influence public attitudes toward and permitting of large-scale solar energy facilities. The research will provide actionable insights that improve outcomes for host communities – especially those that are underserved – and the solar industry. This work supports DOE’s goal of achieving 100% clean electricity by 2035, which will require hundreds of gigawatts of solar capacity over the next decade.
“Solar energy can support regional sustainability goals, unlock stronger economies, and increase access to reliable and affordable clean energy sources,” said Jeff Marootian, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “These projects will support DOE’s commitment to helping communities across the country make informed decisions about their own energy needs and ensure projects deliver meaningful benefits to the host community.”
This is evident from research by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory published this yearAccording to solar project developers, community opposition is among the top three causes of project cancellations and has increased over the past five years. Another study found that in communities within three miles of a project, positive attitudes toward local large-scale solar projects outweigh negative attitudes by nearly a three-to-one margin. These research projects will advance understanding of these social dynamics and enable communities and developers to find solutions that benefit host communities, solar developers and the climate.
The organizations that receive funding under the Evolution and distribution studies of solar energy 4 (SEEDS 4) program includes:
- Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI): Researchers will evaluate the potential to accelerate large-scale solar siting and permitting processes while also reducing community burdens and improving procedural justice and energy equity. The project studies ten large-scale projects in four different regions of the country. (Prize amount: $2.5 million)
- Princeton University (Princeton, NJ): Researchers will explore the potential for… Community Benefits Agreements – legal agreements between community groups and large-scale solar developers – to deliver tangible benefits to communities, build credibility in solar projects and strengthen trust between stakeholder groups. (Prize amount: $2 million)
- Solar and Storage Industries Institute (Washington, DC): This project will leverage stakeholder drive Solar unusual dialogue, convened by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, Solar Energy Industries Association, and The Nature Conservancy, to identify innovative community engagement practices for siting and permitting large-scale solar projects and their impact on host community and solar outcomes industry to evaluate. (Prize amount: $2.5 million)
- University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA): Researchers will evaluate how different siting practices shape community support for large-scale solar projects and how these dynamics differ across different types of communities. (Prize amount: $2.5 million)
The SEEDS 4 funding program is funded by DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. It builds on three previous SEEDS initiatives spanning more than a decade. These programs have supported a wealth of research to understand the social elements of solar adoption, developing strategies to accelerate solar deployment while ensuring that all Americans benefit from the clean energy transition energy.
In addition to funding the social sciences, so is DOE supporting state and local capacity for establishment and permitting by investing in state cooperatives that provide resources to local communities in planning and evaluating large-scale renewable energy projects.
News item from SETO
