Replication Data for: Local power: Understanding the adoption and design of county wind energy regulation

The majority of U.S. states have set targets for renewable energy, but the prospects for meeting most of these goals hinge on the willingness of local governments to allow large-scale renewable energy projects in their communities. In this paper, I investigate how exposure to lobbying by wind developers and the actions of neighboring jurisdictions inform the adoption and design of rules for siting commercial wind farms. Using data collected from 1603 counties in 23 states, I find local policymakers are more likely to enact wind ordinances when they have more time to interact with wind developers and when neighboring counties have adopted wind ordinances or approved the construction of wind farms. I also observe that counties tend to adopt more stringent rules when more wind farms have been built in neighboring counties. This evidence suggests that efforts to scale up renewable energy generation may encounter increasing resistance from local governments.

美国多数州已设定可再生能源发展目标，但达成绝大多数此类目标的前景，取决于地方政府是否愿意在辖区内许可大型可再生能源项目落地。本研究探讨风力开发商游说活动的影响程度，以及邻近辖区的相关举措，如何影响商业风力发电场选址规则的制定与采纳。本研究基于美国23个州共计1603个县的调研数据，发现当地政策制定者若有更多时间与风力开发商沟通互动，或是邻近县已出台风力发电条例、批准风力电厂建设，则更有可能出台相关风电条例。本研究同时观察到，当邻近县域建成更多风力电厂时，本县往往会采纳更为严格的风电相关规则。上述研究结果表明，扩大可再生能源发电规模的相关举措，可能会面临来自地方政府日益增强的阻力。