Скачать или смотреть Critical Conversation 2024 Keynote- Solar Development in Rural Areas: Examining the Trade-Offs

Karen Maguire is a research agricultural economist in the Conservation and Environment Branch of the Resource and Rural Economics Division of USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). Her talk focuses on Federal policies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from electricity generation, including the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Most solar developments are in rural areas and located on agricultural land. Although the amount of land directly affected by a solar farm is small (relative to the amount of farmland), large-scale, commercial solar development leads to changes in the rural landscape. While there is broad support for increasing renewable energy generation, there are local community concerns regarding the effects of solar development on property values, agricultural land use, and the environment. This talk will discuss the current state of the solar sector, what the research tells us today and what questions remain on how to deploy solar to address climate change while benefiting local communities.