Research

  • Missing the mark: Avoiding community misengagement in large-scalesolar development

    Our paper identifying what community “misengagment” around large-scale solar tends to look like, i.e., single-objective, insular, hostile to opposing perspectives, reliant on confirmation bias or misinformation, and how we created our community-centered solar development (CCSD) approach in response is now available. Read more

  • ‘Yes in my backyard’: research rejects ‘NIMBY’ hypothesis for solar opposition

    Not sure I totally agree with the way this article summarizes our results, but nevertheless here’s our study described in PV Magazine! Read more

  • New (open access) Study! More power to them: U.S. large-scale solar neighbors’ support for additional solar

    Large-scale solar (LSS) electric capacity is expanding rapidly in the U.S., with over 18 GW added in 2023 and over 40 GW in 2024; high levels of LSS deployment are anticipated to continue in coming years to meet growing electricity demand. Such deployment relies on sustained support from host community members and local governments, but… Read more

  • US Renewable Energy Organized Opposition & Support Database

    Now Available!!! Below is the May 2025 version of the US Renewable Energy Organized Opposition & Support Database This dataset, which includes information on over 320 organizations or organized efforts working to either support or oppose renewable energy projects in the United States is a product of the Energy Values Lab in the Department of… Read more

  • Distributing a survey using Every Door Direct Mail in an ideal use case

    Excited to announce a new paper published in Methodological Innovations, led by CSUS MSc. graduate and Energy Values Lab member Jake White! While paper mail-based surveys avoid much of the risk of bots and fraudulent data, they suffer from lower response rates and ever-inflating material and logistical costs. In response, there is a nascent, but… Read more

  • CAREsolar Workshop in Zurich

    On Monday the 3rd of February, the CAREsolar workshop, Creating an updated conceptual framework on the socio-ecological impacts and community acceptance of large-scale solar, was held at ETH Zurich with the assistance of the Swiss Research Foundation for Electricity and Mobile Communication (FSM). The workshop brought together 20 experts and key stakeholders from Europe and… Read more