Green Energy Is Being Resisted by Local Governments

America’s energy landscape is experiencing a profound shift. In an effort to combat the escalating climate crises, the U.S. has set an ambitious target to achieve 100% clean energy by 2035. The key to achieving this goal lies in harnessing the power of the wind and the sun on a large scale. However, the journey toward a green energy future is fraught with challenges.

Despite a nationwide push for green energy, local governments are increasingly putting up roadblocks that stall the progress of renewable energy. Per a recent analysis, about 15% of U.S. counties have put strict restrictions on new utility-scale wind and solar projects. These roadblocks include outright bans, moratoriums, and construction limits, making it increasingly complicated to build green energy installations.

This increasing local resistance to green energy could not come at a worse time. Commercial wind and solar energy is expected to account for 19% of the U.S. energy market by 2025, even surpassing coal-generated electricity this year. But to meet the federal government’s green energy goals, this number needs to increase significantly.

Recent years have seen increasing restrictions on solar projects, with 2023 witnessing an almost equal number of counties blocking new solar projects as those that implemented their first project. This resistance has impacted solar and wind energy potential in some of the nation’s richest regions.

Looking at the larger picture, 15% might seem like a small percentage of counties posing hurdles to green energy projects. However, the reality is quite different. These areas are the most productive for developing wind and solar energy, and their resistance can significantly impact our ability to achieve overall green energy goals.

With the need for green energy becoming more pressing due to worsening climate conditions, these restrictions have potential implications beyond the energy sector. The year 2023 turned out to be the warmest recorded in 125,000 years. This led to stronger hurricanes, severe storms, increasing droughts, and larger wildfires, emphasizing the imminent need to switch to cleaner energy sources.

While the transition to green energy is essential, it’s also complex. It requires moving away from traditional power plants burning coal and natural gas to new installations that tap the wind and sun. The focus is on regions with high wind capacity and solar potential, like the central part of the country, the southeast, and the southwest.

The resistance to renewable energy isn’t confined to a few areas or from specific groups. It’s widespread and complicated, often rooted in concerns about property rights, drastic changes in lifestyle, and even conspiracy theories about the dangers of renewable energy. However, as the urgency for cleaner energy intensifies, the continuous restrictions and impediments to building green energy sources by local governments pose a significant challenge to climate-helping goals.