Written by: Adam Assimakopoulos
Edited by: Sunny Bell
While the transition toward green energy has become an increasingly promising feature of 21st-century development, rising populations, urbanization, and global temperatures present challenging obstacles to its efficacy. This article examines key sources of opposition to green energy infrastructure as it squares up against its toughest opponent to date: humanity. It examines the ways in which people receive and contest green energy developments on a community level. The reality is, infrastructure of any kind has to consume space; And with countries becoming increasingly urbanized, growing demands for energy requires that sources be central.
The NIMBY Effect
In the US, an estimated 17% of wind projects face opposition, chiefly by a small yet vocal cohort of activists (Demsas, 2023). In fact, upon studying 355 transportation and energy proposals between 2010 and 2018, Stanford Researcher Michael Bennon found that approximately ⅔ of solar energy projects were contested by means of litigation; 14% were cancelled and less than half finished on schedule (Demsas, 2023). What I find particularly fascinating about vocal opposition to development is the influence that a loud minority has on policymakers and developers. By centralizing clean energy sources within populous communities, green infrastructure asks that everyone forgo a small expenditure for the betterment of the whole – not only on a community level, but in the broad scope of energy efficiency. Yet, “NIMBYism” (Short for “Not in my backyard!”) as it’s colloquially referred to, represents the antithesis to clean energy projects altogether: a small minority of people overwhelming a communal benefit. Opposition not only delays the green energy transition, but also makes it more expensive (Demsas, 2023). It effectively pits governments against green energy developers in a game of chicken, testing at what cost the clean energy movement decides itself to be “not worth it.” While some may consider this population to be sullying the green energy movement for the greater whole, a self-reflexive “NIMBY” phenomenon has emerged in response. To match the fruitful efforts of NIMBY cohorts, calls for a YIMBY coalition–a group of people who actively pursue developments to occur within their community– have naturally begun. Ironically, no community wants to form this coalition. The YIMBY project is one that many hope will be shouldered by neighbouring communities. This phenomenon challenges us to think broadly about policy design. Specifically, we ought to avoid focusing on who developments are for and, instead, on who should have control over applying them. Before I continue to Section 2, I wish to specify that dialogue between communities and the state is a good thing – it signals that policymakers and green energy developers are responsive to community needs. Still, we must challenge ourselves to capitalize on this dialogue, such that the YIMBY group can negate the existence of the NIMBY group.
Saying Yes
Noise, odor, traffic, unsightliness – these are nuisances we imagine will come alongside green energy developments. And while I cannot pretend these drawbacks don’t exist, I advocate for the benefits that come alongside them. Because the scope of this article focuses primarily on local communities in cities, hydroelectric and biomass energy sources are not considered in the analysis.
Financial Benefits & Lower Energy Costs: Living beside a renewable energy source such as a wind or solar farm lowers the cost of energy. The money that communities save on energy can then be reinvested into community goods, such as libraries, roads, and other benefits. Moreover, wind farms generate considerable revenue for communities via mandatory utility-scale taxes (WINDExchange, 2021).
Increased Property Values: Simply put, communities with green energy sources are poised to become more valuable over time (Teves, 2023). At the community level, increased property values benefit an entire city block. Still, one might be incentivized to passively reap the benefits of their neighbours. However, Zillow, a reputable property estimation platform, reported in 2019 that homes with solar panels sold for 4.1% more on average. This is because renewable energy sources save home buyers additional costs in the future. Moreover, while neighbourhoods near wind farms suffer short term property value decreases, they have been found to return to previous prices 3 years after construction (WINDExchange, 2021). Therefore, it behooves the individual to retrofit their home for their own benefit, and for the long-term good of the community.
Better Air Quality: Urban sources of renewable energy (wind and solar) are cleaner and safer sources of power. In 2022, renewable energy provided 16.9% of total primary energy supply in Canada. This amounted to 37,993 mWh in wind energy and 4,195 in solar. Comparatively, fossil fuels generated 111,611 mWh that same year (NRC, 2023). I take this opportunity to remind the reader that energy must come from somewhere, and that clean energy replaces traditional sources. This means that cities far from community-centred green energy developments will find themselves near traditional fossil fuels and their associated health repercussions. Thus, communities who actively pursue clean energy developments position themselves far from toxic fuels and proximal to the other two listed benefits.
Overall, the clean energy transition can present some mild uncertainty. However, being an active member in incorporating green energy infrastructure brings a world of benefits. Saying “Yes” to hosting the transition in your community is one of many steps to bettering the health of your community… and, yes, your backyard.
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References:
Demsas, J. (2023, October 27). Why America Doesn't Build. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/wind-farms-community-opposition/675791/
Do Solar Panels Increase Home Value? (2023, December 18). LiveZeno. https://www.livezeno.com/insights/blog/do-solar-panels-increase-home-value
Mikhitarian, S. (2019, April 16). Homes With Solar Panels Sell for 4.1% More. Zillow. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://www.zillow.com/research/solar-panels-house-sell-more-23798/
Natural Resources Canada (NRC). (2024, August 7). About renewable energy in Canada. Government of Canada. https://natural-resources.canada.ca/our-natural-resources/energy-sources-distribution/renewable-energy/about-renewable-energy-canada/7295
United Nations. (n.d.). Taking action for the health of people and the planet | United Nations. The United Nations. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/health
WINDExchange. (n.d.). Concerns about Wind Energy’s Impact on Communities. WINDExchange. https://windexchange.energy.gov/projects/community
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