Renewable Energy: Prospects, Politics, the Public, and Proximity
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Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 12-2017 Renewable Energy: Prospects, Politics, the Public, and Proximity Peter G. Robertson Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Robertson, Peter G., "Renewable Energy: Prospects, Politics, the Public, and Proximity" (2017). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 6690. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/6690 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. RENEWABLE ENERGY: PROSPECTS, POLITICS, THE PUBLIC, AND PROXIMITY by Peter G. Robertson A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Human Dimensions of Ecosystem Science and Management Approved: ______________________ ____________________ Richard Krannich, Ph.D. E. Helen Berry, Ph.D. Major Professor Committee Member ______________________ ____________________ Roslynn Brain, Ph.D. Mark Brunson, Ph.D. Committee Member Committee Member ______________________ ____________________ Peter Howe, Ph.D. Mark R. McLellan, Ph.D. Committee Member Vice President for Research and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 2017 ii Copyright © Peter G. Robertson 2017 All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Renewable Energy: Prospects, Politics, the Public, and Proximity by Peter G. Robertson, Doctor of Philosophy Utah State University, 2017 Major Professor: Dr. Richard Krannich Department: Environment and Society This dissertation reviews the drivers of recent growth and development of renewable energy and the barriers to continued growth, and explores the public’s attitudes about technological changes to the electrical generation system. In detail we examined the roles of political orientation, community context, and proximity to development as factors influencing attitudes about renewable energy development. We found that renewable energy attitudes are influenced by political orientation but behave differently than other politically divisive issues such as environmental concern. We also found that community context is an important variable that influences how residents of certain communities tend to react to wind energy development. And when comparing communities facing similar wind energy development situations, we found that independent of socio-demographic composition differences, communities weigh impacts and benefits of wind power development differently. Finally, results indicated that household proximity to wind energy developments played no significant role in influencing support or opposition to wind energy development. (276 pages) iv PUBLIC ABSTRACT Renewable Energy: Prospects, Politics, the Public, and Proximity Peter G. Robertson The way our electricity is generated is in a period of rapid change; in the United States and many other countries the system is becoming less reliant on coal based power systems, while natural gas and solar and wind power are becoming more and more important. Technological advances have made solar and wind power more efficient and increasingly cost-effective. While these changes to the electrical system come with great benefits, such as less pollution, these technologies are not free of impacts. The electrical system is inseparable from our modern lifestyle, and because the system is so large this transition will affect society in many ways. This dissertation analyzes one aspect of the social side of these changes in the electrical system by asking, what does the public think about renewable energy? In particular we examined how political beliefs, community differences, and residential distance from wind turbines might influence attitudes about renewable energy. We find that political belief is an important factor in predicting levels of support for renewable energy, with conservatives less likely to prefer renewable energy and liberals more supportive of its development. We also find distinct differences in how residents of particular communities tend to react to renewable energy and local wind power development. In addition, we find that living closer to wind turbines is not a good way to predict attitudes about wind energy. These results should help policy makers and developers to make better decisions about how and where we build utility-scale solar and v wind electric power facilities by taking into consideration the nuances of personal and political beliefs as well as community differences. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would especially like to thank my committee members, Drs. Richard Krannich, E. Helen Berry, Roslynn Brain, Mark Brunson, and Peter Howe for their support and assistance throughout the entire degree process. Peter Robertson vii CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii PUBLIC ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. vi LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................................ x CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE ............................................................................... 15 III. RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THE UNITED STATES: TRENDS, PROSPECTS, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT— 2016 UPDATE ...................................................................................................... 34 IV. POLITICAL ORIENTATION AND ENERGY PREFERENCES IN UTAH ..... 73 V. LOCAL RESIDENTS’ RESPONSES TO UTILITY-SCALE WIND POWER DEVELOPMENTS: A FIVE-COMMUNITY COMPARISON ......... 124 VI. PUBLIC OPINION TOWARD WIND POWER: NIMBY, PROXIMITY, AND VARIED BELIEFS ABOUT UTILITY-SCALE WIND FACILITY EFFECTS ............................................................................................................ 167 VII. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................. 203 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................ 221 A SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTIC COMPARISON OF UTAH SURVEY RESPONDENTS AND STATEWIDE POPULATION ........ 222 B SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTIC COMPARISON OF FIVE COMMUNITY SURVEY RESPONDENTS BY COMMUNITY AND SURVEY AVERAGES ...................................................................................... 223 C CHARTS COMPARING THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES OF WIND ENERGY BY COMMUNITY ............................................................................ 225 D SPATIAL AUTOCORRELATION REPORT OF PATTERNS OF VOTING FOR OR AGAINST WIND DEVELOPMENT ................................................. 229 E MAP OF "VOTES FOR" AND "VOTES AGAINST" WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT AND PROXIMITY TO WIND TURBINES ....................... 230 F UTAH MAIL SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE .................................................... 231 G NOTES ON QUESTION DEVELOPMENT FOR UTAH MAIL SURVEY .... 246 viii H FIVE COMMUNITY DROP-OFF/PICK-UP SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE ............................................................................................ 249 I NOTES ON QUESTION DEVELOPMENT FOR FIVE COMMUNITY DROP-OFF/PICK-UP SURVEY ....................................................................... 260 J PERMISSION TO REPRINT LETTER FOR CHAPTER III ............................ 262 VITAE ............................................................................................................................. 263 ix LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Response Distribution for Political Orientation. ............................................. 99 2 Multiple regression analyses examining the appropriate role of the government in energy production and environmental protection. ................ 100 3 Multiple regression analyses examining relationships between political orientation, socio-demographics and energy preferences. ............................ 103 4 Seven opportunity-threat beliefs regarding wind energy development regressed on respondents socio-demographic characteristics and community of residence. ............................................................................... 148 5 Logistic regression of “vote for/against” wind power development on socio-demographic characteristics, beliefs about opportunities & threats, and community. ............................................................................................. 154 6 Support or Opposition at Varying Distance from Residence. ....................... 187 7 Mean distance and voting for or against the wind energy development near the community of Idaho Falls. .............................................................. 188 8 Cross-Tabulation of Votes by Grouped Residence Distance. ....................... 189 9 Logistic regression analysis by distance and votes for or against the wind energy development