The Center for Rural Affairs has released a new report, “Powering Iowa: Rural Perspectives on Iowa’s Renewable Energy Transformation,” which examines renewable energy development in rural communitites.
The authors of the report, Stephanie Enloe and Katie Rock, said they used survey results from Iowa county officials and landowners to explore how Iowans are responding to renewables, including wind, solar, and electric transmission lines.
According to a statement about the report, they surveyed elected county officials in all 99 Iowa counties, and landowners and managers who were impacted by a transmission line project in north central Iowa. They received 84 responses from elected officials and six responses from landowners or operators.
“We found that local elected leaders tend to support wind energy development, especially when they see local economic benefits,” the report’s authors said. “A majority of county supervisors and auditors understand that transmission lines improve grid reliability, efficiency, and access to renewable energy. When deciding whether to support a transmission project, respondents’ top priorities include fair treatment by developers, preservation of agricultural land, and provision of local economic benefits.”
Read the statement here, and download the full report here.
Filed Under: News, Projects
