UMass study: Local opposition to utility-scale solar projects is less common than media coverage suggests
Lightly toasted, lightly seasoned, mostly correct.
Summary
A University of Massachusetts Amherst study of 686 utility-scale solar installations across the United States reveals that local opposition to solar projects is far less common than news coverage suggests. The majority of projects face little to no public friction during development, with organized resistance being the exception rather than the norm. The research also found that siting conflicts are more closely tied to project capacity and regional regulatory structures than to the political alignment of host communities.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledA study from the University of Massachusetts Amherst shows that local opposition to utility-scale solar installations occurs less frequently than news coverage indicates.
Researchers found that a majority of projects encounter little public friction during development.
Data from recent deployments shows that organized resistance is an exception to the baseline trend.
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