Progress 01/01/13 to 09/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience: The United States has experienced an upsurge in renewable energy production due, in part, to its ability to mitigate climate change. Some regard renewable energy as poised at a “tipping point” ready to take its place in mainstream energy markets (Flavin 2010). As interest in renewable energy has grown, so too has the interest in western public lands as a likely place to locate renewable projects, especially wind, solar and the associated power transmission lines. Following is a brief chronology of renewable energy national policy milestones: ? In 2003, BLM and DOE/NREL issued a report, Assessing the Potential for Renewable Energy on Federal Lands. ? Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-58), contained two sections relevant to renewable energy production on federal lands. ? Between 2005 and the present, the BLM either issued or initiated NEPA programmatic EISs covering solar, wind, biofuels, and geothermal projects as well as related transmission lines on public lands. ? In November 2011, Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) submitted a bill entitled: PublicLandsRenewableEnergyDevelopment Act of 2011 (S. 1775) aimed at increasing the use of public lands for such projects. Yet, while public lands are seemingly an ideal location for renewable energy projects, there are potential issues. Reaction from environmentalists, community-based conservation groups and watershed initiatives has been mixed regarding renewable projects on western public lands. On one hand, there is support for the development of renewable energy because of its ability to mitigate global warming. Yet, on the other hand, such projects represent a potential environmental NIMBY threat that could derail or delay these projects. Hence, with this opportunity come real or perceived threats which could be a “deal-breaker” for project implementation. The principal concern is over “appropriate development,” that is, the placing of projects in appropriate locations (Wilderness Society undated, Salazar, 2009). The proposed project is essential to the future of renewable energy in the Southwest because it will provide a better understanding of potential public concerns regarding renewable energy and assist in providing a means for resolving related conflicts. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? One PhD student in public Administration, one PhD student in American Indian Studies, and one M.S. student in Natural Resources were supported by the research project. All students are making progress towards their thesis or dissertations as the result of this research. The master's student is expected to be finished in August 2014. Information from this project has been used to instruct the following university classes: RNR 485A & 585A - Natural Resources Economics and Planning; RNR 480 & 580-Natural Resources Policy and Law; DVP 621-Management of Natural Resources. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Research will continue toward the accomplishment of the project objectives. The most significant planned activity is the master's thesis which includes a survey of the public impacted by the construction of utility scale solar power generationprojects on western public lands.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Theresearch objectives are: 1. to conduct a review of existing public policies regarding the installation of renewable energy projects on public lands. 2. to develop and test a questionnaire, and to conduct a mail survey of members of environmental groups, community-based conservation groups and watershed initiatives to determine their concerns regarding the appropriate development of renewable energy projects, especially with respect to water use and transmission lines in Arizona. 3. to develop a model for these groups to engage in collaboration and mediation to resolve conflicts over water use associated with the development of solar projects and transmission lines on public lands. 4. to conduct focus group follow-up discussions with a sub-sample of group leaders to expand on the results obtained in objectives #1 and #2, above. This past year, a research grant was obtained from the University of Arizona's Renewable Energy Network. This funding supported 2 graduate research assistants and permit progress on objectives 1-3. A content analysis of the BLM’s 2012 EIS for the Arizona Restoration Design Energy Project (RDEP) identified citizen environmental concerns with respect to solar project on public lands. The content analysis indicated public concerns with the following: air quality, cultural resources, energy and minerals, environmental justice, fish and wildlife, geology, and seismicity, greenhouse gases and climate change, land use and realty, livestock grazing, national trails, native American interests and heritage resources, paleontological resources, public health and safety, recreation, socioeconomics, soil resources, special designations, special status, species, travel management, vegetation, visual resources, water resources, wild horses and burros, and wilderness characteristics. A survey and questionnaire were designed to add to the findings of the RDEP EIS with respect to public environmental concerns related to solar project development. The survey will be conducted among members of environmental groups and watershed initiatives in Arizona. A sample frame has been developed. The instrument itself consists of 6 parts comprising 21 questions. The questions, among other things, assess predisposition toward renewable energy development, the use of federal lands for such development, specific project-related environmental concerns and the renewable energy social network of the respondents. The survey will be conducted during summer and fall of 2013. A separate informal survey of selected Indian tribes was also conducted on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, the San Xavier District of the Tohono O'odham Nation, and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. The disposition of the tribes towards solar development varies, with San Carlos Apaches being most in favor. The attractiveness of solar seemingly varies inversely with the cost of energy on the reservation. The Project Logic Model had as its goal, among other things, the development of a conceptual approach and research design for measuring the effects of public participation on the performance of NEPA reviews of solar facilities and to develop design recommendations specifically to enhance and increase effective public participation and collaborative engagement for future NEPA review processes. The model framework has been developed. The next objective is to identify opportunities for appropriate and effective public participation within the context of the utility-scale solar siting process that has been recently developed through the solar PEIS and AZ RDEP processes. This work was supported by the University of Arizona TRIF-funded Renewable Energy Network.
Publications
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Progress 01/01/12 to 12/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This project is just underway. Thus there are few outputs to reports. Information from this project is already used to instruct RNR 485A & 585A - Natural Resources Economics and Planning, and RNR 480 & 580 - Natural Resources Policy and Law. PARTICIPANTS: J.E. de Steiguer Kirk Emerson Ben Colombi Julia Sittig Tommy E. Jones Dylan Radin TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
An exploratory grant was received in December 2012 from the Renewable Energy Network, Institute of the Environment, University of Arizona ($37,320). The research objectives follow: Environmental and NIMBY-type concerns could present an obstacle to the development of renewable energy resources on public lands. Research regarding the nature of citizen groups' concerns, and their views on collaboration and mediation, will help in determining the appropriate development strategies for renewable projects on public lands. Accordingly, the research objectives are: 1. to conduct a review of existing public policies regarding the installation of renewable energy projects on public lands. 2. to develop and test a questionnaire, and to conduct a mail survey of members of environmental groups, community-based conservation groups and watershed initiatives to determine their concerns regarding the appropriate development of renewable energy projects, especially with respect to water use and transmission lines in Arizona. 3. to develop a model for these groups to engage in collaboration and mediation to resolve conflicts over water use associated with the development of solar projects and transmission lines on public lands. The project co-PIs are Dr. Kirk Emerson and Dr. Ben Colombi, both at the University of Arizona. The project also supports 3 graduate assistants.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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