Individual and local scale interactions and adaptations to wind energy development: A case study of Oklahoma, USA

Abstract

Wind energy development receives broad support but is often opposed at the local level due to nuisance concerns and uncertainties about how it affects the landowners living due to the turbines and the broader community. Local opposition to wind energy development can be a powerful force slowing or even ending its implementation in a given region. Oklahoma, USA is currently ranked as 4^th in the United States in current wind energy production and has seen significant pushback from some local communities as a renewable energy resource. Previous studies have examined wind energy development's impact on rural education income, and property values of different communities in Oklahoma. However, funding information on how wind energy development affects the individuals living alongside the turbines are limited. Using fifteen interviews with landowners, site-managers, community representatives, and pro-wind non-profit organization representatives, this study finds that individuals who live in proximity to wind energy development, particularly those involved in the agricultural industry, have created novel and unique uses for wind farm infrastructure. It also finds that local perceptions of wind energy production are mostly positive and provides increased knowledge of how wind energy development affects the individuals and communities that are hosting the turbines and related infrastructure.

Keywords

Wind energy / Social acceptance / Local impacts of wind energy development / Renewable energy impacts

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr. Travis Gliedt for his consistent support throughout the development of this research. I also want to recognize the efforts of Dr. Judith Meyer for her immeasurable contribution to this article, and the Department of Geography at the University of Oklahoma for their continued support and particularly Dr. Mark Shafer for his valuable input.

Supplementary materials

Supplementary material associated with this article can be found, in the online version, at doi: 10.1016/j.geosus.2021.08.003.

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