The Political Ecology of Wind Energy Opposition in Wyoming
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POWER POLITICS: THE POLITICAL ECOLOGY OF WIND ENERGY OPPOSITION IN WYOMING by Shawn Keating Olson B.A. The Evergreen State College, 2003 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Colorado in partial fulfillment Of the requirement for the degree of Master of Science Program of Environmental Studies 2013 This thesis entitled: Power Politics: The Political Ecology of Wind Energy Opposition in Wyoming Written by Shawn Keating Olson has been approved for the Program of Environmental Studies _______________________________________________________________ Maxwell Boykoff, Ph.D. _______________________________________________________________ Lori Hunter, Ph.D. _______________________________________________________________ Emily Yeh, Ph.D. _______________________________________________________________ Suzanne Tegen, Ph.D. Date______________________ The final copy of this thesis has been examined by the signatories, and we Find that both the content and the form meet acceptable presentation standards Of scholarly work in the above mentioned discipline. IRB protocol# 12-0764 (University of Colorado) ABSTRACT Olson, Shawn Keating (MS, Environmental Studies) Power Politics: The Political Ecology of Wind Energy Opposition in Wyoming Thesis directed by Maxwell Boykoff This study investigates growing opposition to industrial-scale wind farms in the United States (US). Opposition groups are often successful in halting or delaying turbine construction, which significantly impacts the feasibility of meeting the US Department of Energy’s “20 percent wind energy by 2030” goal; the US now generates 3.5 percent of electricity from the wind. Because wind farms require large tracts of open land and are mostly built in rural areas, this research focuses on the US West and examines opposition underway in east-central Wyoming. Wyomingites embody politically conservative and culturally individualistic ideologies that pose unique challenges for wind developers. Wyoming’s historic dependence on coal mining and other fossil fuels industries also means that the wind industry is often perceived as a threat to jobs and the state’s economy. However, a declining agricultural market and vulnerability from boom-and-bust extractive industries may well position rural communities to benefit from wind farms’ steady economic outputs. To deepen understanding beyond the typical ‘NIMBY’ (Not In My Back Yard) explanation, this research uses a political ecology framework. Political ecology examines environmental conflicts with particular attention paid to relations of power between stakeholders and with concern for equitable distribution of harms and goods. Findings in this study highlight two emergent narratives. First, wind energy is perceived as an imposition on local communities iii that may not have a voice in siting decisions and that may suffer disproportionate burdens. Second, a discourse of support for wind farms also emerges and characterizes opposition as a privileged effort to protect vacation property values, uphold an elitist construction of ‘nature’, and wage ideological war on renewable energy. Through two case studies, this research provides textured insights into wind farm opposition that may help mitigate future contestations as well as anticipate networks of support in the US context. This work also poses larger, critical questions interrogating the logic of developing industrial-scale renewables in rural areas, far from the urban centers driving ‘green’ electron demand. Narratives articulated foreshadow future responses to wind farms, particularly in the US West, and lay a foundation for more equitable decision-making processes that designate wind energy landscapes. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to thank the residents of Converse and Natrona Counties, who were so gracious as to meet with me, take me into their homes, and express their views on this emotional subject. Additionally, steering committee members of the Northern Laramie Range Alliance were so generous as to drive me around the stunning foothills of the Northern Laramie Range, feed me pie at truck stops, and provide me with years of relevant newspaper clippings and personal writings. Employees of Wasatch Wind were extremely helpful and their insights into the legal and social aspects of wind farm development were critical to this research. I feel incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to present my ideas before my talented thesis committee: Max Boykoff, Lori Hunter, Suzanne Tegen, and Emily Yeh. I respect thoroughly the research and personal character of each of these scholars, and I feel that I could not have selected a more intelligent and caring group of people. I also owe special thanks to my advisor, Max Boykoff, whose admirable academic mettle is always so well balanced with expansive enthusiasm and kindness – if there is a way to stay sane and human in the world of academia, Max has discovered it. I would also like to thank the Center to Advance Research and Teaching in the Social Sciences at the University of Colorado in Boulder for the financial support that allowed me to undertake this fascinating field research. Additionally, the ever-dutiful attentiveness of the Echo SmartPen recording device made the fieldwork portion of this project feel almost like cheating. It also made for great party tricks. Lastly, I would like to thank my parents. Mom and Dad: you’ve always supported me through life and a winding academic career, even though my choices may have been exasperating at times (i.e., the Mexico incident and the Alaskan bush winter). Your support of my ventures – academic, outdoors, and political – has been crucial. Thank you also for raising us in the country – my passion for rural environmental issues comes undeniably from my upbringing at the farm on Kelly Rd. v Financial support was provided by The Center the Advance Research and Teaching in the Social Sciences (CARTSS), University of Colorado at Boulder. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. THE POLITICAL ECOLOGY OF WIND ENERGY DEBATES…………………………….1 1.1 Introduction to Project Objectives…………………………………………………………….1 1.2 Using Political Ecology ………………………………………………………………………3 1.3 Justification for Case Study and Research Methods………………………..……………..…12 1.4 Thesis Layout………………….…………………..……..……..…………..……………..…21 2. BEYOND ‘NIMBY’: COMPLEXIFYING WIND ENERGY OPPOSITION..……..………..23 2.1 The Rise of Wind Energy (and opposition to it) ………………………..……..…...….….…23 2.2 Scholarly Explanations for Wind Energy Opposition………………………..…….….….…30 2.3 Conceptualizing Power and Marginalization in Wind Energy Development….….….……...35 2.4 Wind Farms and the Social Construction of Nature….…………………………...….……...44 2.5 Situating Wind Energy Opposition in the US West….…………………………...…..……...51 2.6 Conclusion……………………..…………………..……..……..…………..…………….…58 3. LOCALIZING THE ANALYSIS: WIND ENERGY CONTESTATION IN WYOMING..…61 3.1 Community, Policy, and Wind Energy in the ‘Saudi Arabia of Wind’……………………...62 3.2 Wind Farms as Burden: Power Dynamics in Wind Energy Development …….………....…75 3.2.1 An ‘illegal’ siting? The case of the Chevron Casper Wind Farm……………….…76 3.2.2 ‘What jobs? What taxes?’ Examining wind energy’s economic impact……..……81 3.3 Wind Farms as Benefit: Power Dynamics in Wind Energy Opposition …...…………......…86 3.3.1 Ranchers and Turbines: The Case for Turbines in the Northern Laramies………..87 3.3.2 The NLRA: “Fighting this industrialization of our pristine mountain country”.….96 3.3.3 Private interests and power relations in wind energy opposition………………...101 3.4 Conclusion……………………..…………………..……..……..…………..……..……….113 4. CONCLUSION: ETHICS AND WIND ENERGY LANDSCAPES……………………......117 REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………...…….124 vi Appendix A: Interview Guide – Landowners………..………………………………...……….138 Appendix B: Interview Guide – Converse County Commissioners…..…………..………...….139 Appendix C: Interview Guide – Employees of Wasatch Wind…………………..….……...….140 vii LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Individuals interviewed, by type………………………………………………….……19 Table 2: Comparison of Wise Use and Wind Opposition Arguments………………….…....55-57 Table 3: County, state, and federal events and policies relevant to wind development in Converse County..…………………………………………………………………….………….67 Table 4: Timeline of events pertinent to the Wasatch Wind proposal for Pioneer Wind Parks I and II.…………………………………………………………………………………….………71 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's 80-meter wind map, showing Wyoming's high wind energy production potential……………………………………………...14 Figure 2: The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's map of average annual wind speeds in Wyoming, with author’s additions showing approximate location of Converse County and Natrona County…………………………………………………………………………………..62 Figure 3: Map showing the southern half of Converse County, with Glenrock and proposed Pioneer Wind Parks I and II marked. (Map generated with permission from Google Maps: Imagery ©2013 TerraMetrics, Map data ©2013 Google)……………………………………….65 Figure 4: Sign posted by an upset landowner whose property is less than 800 feet from turbines in the Chevron Casper Wind Farm. Author’s own photo………………………………………..78 Figure 5: The historic Grant family barn, over 125 years old. The barn is located within a few miles of the site of the proposed Pioneer Wind Parks I and II project. Author’s own photo……95 Figure 6: A visual representation of the proposed wind farm created by the Northern Laramie Range Alliance. (NLRA, 2010:2)………………………………………………………………108 ix 1. THE