Social Attitudes of College Students Toward Wind Farm Development in South Texas

In the last decades wind energy has enjoyed a rapid development and the endorsement from most of society. However, sometimes wind farms face skepticism from local residents and other stakeholders before and after installation. This paper reviews potential factor influencing public opinions on wind farms, and analyzes data from a survey carried out among college students in South Texas to search for empirical evidence of the opinion forming process about wind farms. The results show that it’s important to analyze opposition to these installations and the reason that cause this rejection, because these factors could derail the projects despite wide general support even if the project is well developed. It also shows that people appear to be overwhelmingly supportive on the issue of whether to support wind farms in general. However, once the question is whether to support building a wind farm near one’s home, the overriding concern is economic.

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