Caught in the Crosswinds: Rural America could be renewable energy’s nemesis—or its savior

Abstract

Fighting climate change will require a fundamental shift away from the fossil fuels that still provide most of America’s electricity. In most states, county and local boards have to approve renewable energy projects. But despite the local economic benefits that renewable energy projects can bring, communities around the country have started saying no to wind and solar farms. Political leanings alone do not explain opposition to renewable energy projects, as most wind farms have been built in rural, red areas.

My mom’s family is from Logan County, Illinois—a conservative area with some of the most wind turbines in the state. A few miles down the road, officials in another Republican farming area, Christian County, have effectively banned any wind farms from being built. Looking at why residents and officials in these central Illinois counties took drastically different stances toward wind can shed light on the locally-driven economic, social, and regulatory factors that will determine the future of U.S. renewable energy.