NIMBY Nation: How Local Opposition and the Interminable Siting Process Affects Energy Development

When the US Interior Department recently gave its final approval to build the Cape Wind offshore wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts, the story was about how offshore wind in the United States was moving forward, but the process took more than ten years and it will take a few more until the first turbine is actually constructed.  This is indicative of a broader problem that energy suppliers have consistently faced in the US: steep regulatory hurdles compounded by “Not In My Backyard” (NIMBY) sentiment.  Even the technologies that the public is enthusiastic about in the abstract, like wind and natural gas, have generated NIMBY-fueled opposition.  This dynamic has not been discussed in a comprehensive manner, but threatens to be the biggest impediment to building a clean energy economy.  In this GR Energy and Climate Brief, the obstacles to adding new supply in five areas of energy are discussed, as well what the dynamic means for future energy policy.

Wind / Other Renewables: Cape Wind is far from the only wind project to face public opposition in the past few years due to local concerns.  In Maryland in 2007, US Wind Force tried to build about 100 turbines in the Savage and Potomac state forests in the western part of the state. 

Full article here.