Large-scale wind farms are one of the most affordable and environmentally benign forms of electric generation. Yet what is reported in the media rarely reflects the scientific and economic facts of this energy source, including Vermonters support for wind energy as evidenced by polling data. This year’s renewable energy conference offers attendees not only an overview of wind energy facts but also highlights how local media reporting on wind energy has changed over the last decade.
Scientists will be presenting factual data on wildlife protection strategies and wind sound. What are wind farms doing currently to protect wildlife – especially rare and charismatic birds and bats? What does the science say about sound emanating from wind projects? Meteorologists will present on the vital role that wind resource assessment plays in the development of a successful wind power facility, highlighting a case study of a Vermont wind project.
Finally, “Changing Actors and Discourse: An Analysis of Ten Years of Media Coverage in Vermont’s Wind Power Debate” provides a greater understanding on this issue. Analysts will show how wind opposition arguments have changed over time. Scholars will illustrate how media portrayal of Vermont’s wind debate differs from polling data over the same period.
Renewable Energy 2014
www.revconference.org
Filed Under: Events, News, Policy