Renewable Energy Developers Need Help, And Help Is on the Way

CleanTechnica Author: Tina Casey

About 30% of all renewable energy proposals in the US die on the vine, with local opposition among the top three causes. The outlook for a healthier industry could improve if developers were more adept at communicating about benefits and neutralizing misinformation, and a new, first-of-its-kind training program offers to do just that.

Renewable Energy On The Rocks

The need for a new approach to community engagement is clear. Earlier this year, the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory drew a gloomy picture of the state of affairs, based on a survey of 123 professionals representing 62 renewable energy developers.

“Approximately one-third of wind and solar siting applications submitted in the last five years were canceled, while about half experience delays of 6 months or more,” Berkeley Lab observed.

The Berkeley Lab analysis also takes note of the high cost of project cancellations, averaging more than $2 million per project for solar and $7.5 million for wind.

Delays are also expensive, raising costs by $200,000 per megawatt for both wind and solar. Considering the 100+ megawatt scale typical of many renewable energy projects, those costs can add up.

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