Recipient Organization
UNIV OF WISCONSIN
21 N PARK ST STE 6401
MADISON,WI 53715-1218
Performing Department
Forest and Wildlife Ecology
Non Technical Summary
Sustainable energy platforms (e.g., cellulosic biofuels, biogas, solar, etc.) have and will continue to transform energy production and policy with myriad effects on land use, local communities, and regional economies. Public perceptions and preferences are critical, but understudied, factors in energy planning and development. In this integrated project, we study public views and engage key actors (i.e., extension educators, local and state leaders, planners) toward sustainable energy through two objectives. (1) Investigate and segment public perceptions and leadership preferences (i.e., who and at what scale) associated with sustainable energy. (2) Build capacity among key actors to interpret and apply social science findings toward effective planning and policy efforts. Our research component investigates and segments public perceptions and preferred "loci of leadership" for sustainable energy along two dimensions: (a) local to global, and (b) private-public-non-profit. Methods include a statewide mail survey of Wisconsin households (n = 1,200), and follow-on 5-7 focus groups to enhance data interpretation. Research questions we explore include, What perceptions and preferences do residents hold with respect to different sustainable energy platforms And, Where does the public see the loci of leadership for sustainable energy development (and energy more broadly) Our extension component interactively and iteratively engages key actors toward increased capacity to apply social science research to effectively incorporate public views in energy-related processes. Of note is our strong integrated project team that spans research, extension, and energy expertise. EXPECTED OUTCOMES are fourfold. (a) Strong foundational research that explores and segments public perception and preferences associated with sustainable energy, in particular the identification of loci of leadership that is both of scholarly and practical importance; (b) Increased capacity among extension educators and local and state policymakers and planner to apply social science research to sustainable energy planning and programming with anticipated implications for other emerging domains (e.g., climate change) as well; (c) Continued graduate student involvement, both formally through the research assistantship and informally through whole-lab projects, will train future professionals to better interface science, research, practice, and policy--important skills to advance society; and (d) Stronger ties among campus-based faculty, extension educators, leaders, and planners to foster future integrated projects that address local needs, advance knowledge, and further the Wisconsin Idea.
Animal Health Component
60%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
10%
Applied
60%
Developmental
30%
Goals / Objectives
In this integrated project, we study public preferences and engage key actors toward better incorporating public views in sustainable energy through TWO OBJECTIVES. (1) Investigate and segment public perceptions and leadership preferences (i.e., who and at what scale) associated with sustainable energy. (2) Build capacity among key actors (i.e., extension educators, local and state leaders, planners, etc.) to interpret and apply social science findings in sustainable energy planning and policy. These objectives are intended to create FOUR OUTCOMES and THEIR ASSOCIATED OUTPUTS. (a) Strong foundational social science research (i.e., qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys) that explores and segments public perception and preferences associated with sustainable energy, resulting in 2-3 scholarly publications. (b) Increased capacity among extension educators and local and state policymakers and planner, through delivery of 3-5 regionalized interactive workshops for key actors that will result in or inform local energy planning. (c) Graduate student involvement, notably through the training of 1 MS or PhD student. (d) Stronger ties among campus-based faculty, extension educators, leaders, and planners to foster future integrated projects that address local needs, advance knowledge, and further the Wisconsin Idea.
Project Methods
Our RESEARCH design relies on two techniques. (1) We will investigate and segment public perceptions, preferences, and loci of leadership for sustainable energy using a mail survey. (2) We will conduct focus groups to inform survey data interpretation and the project's extension component. As initially proposed the survey would precede the focus groups, but reviewer comments suggested a reversed approach might be more appropriate. Decisions on this item will be made after the project starts. MAIL SURVEY. We will conduct a Wisconsin household mail survey building on our collective experiences in SW Wisconsin) It will be a four-wave mail survey of 1,200 Wisconsin households. To address our research questions, we anticipate that the questionnaire items will include items on different energy platforms, their strengths and weaknesses; measures of environmental, energy, and governance values, metrics to identify loci of leadership; information sources; and socio-demographic characteristics. Data analysis will entail the use of appropriate statistical techniques. FOCUS GROUPS. We will conduct 5-7 focus groups across the state to also explore public perceptions of sustainable energy. Each focus group will include 6-8 participants and be held at locations convenient to the participants. During each focus group, participants will be asked to respond to and discuss 7-10 open-ended questions. Focus groups will be audio-recorded for subsequent qualitative analysis. We will use qualitative data analysis techniques that identify salient themes and relationships. EXTENSION PROGRAM. (1) We will conduct 3-5 regionalized workshops for key actors in which we share preliminary findings from the research component as well as other studies and conceptual frameworks. We expect each workshop to include 15-20 key actors. (2) During these workshops, we will allow for extended discussion and brainstorming exercises in which learners share their reactions, thoughts, and ideas. Participants, including our project team, will then discuss and prioritize feedback with a key output being a draft action plan for future work. We envision that the action plan will include both relatively simple and more expansive tasks. The action plan will include commitments from key actors to participate and contribute moving forward. (3) To the extent feasible, we will then implement the action plan. Moreover, this process will build collaborative working relationships among project team members to effectively span research and implementation. As an initial evaluation element, we will ask workshop participants to complete pre- and post-workshop evaluations to assess knowledge shifts and similar metrics. Prior to completion of this Hatch project, we will also ask participants to qualitatively reflect upon their experiences. This evaluation will focus on the extent to which action plan items are implemented, new projects/proposals emerge, and participants remain engaged. To ensure that evaluation remains a focus, action plan development will include the development of a logic model to document efforts and track impacts.