Monday, July 20, 2009

The Economic Impact of Wind Power

Assessing the Economic Development Impacts of Wind Power: Final Report

Summary

  • Provides examples of thorough and consistent analysis and documentation of economic impacts from wind power development. Considers three separate case studies as examples, including Lake Benton I (Lincoln County, MN), Vansycle Ridge (Morrow and Umatilla Counties, OR), and Delaware Mountain (Culberson County, TX).
  • Analyzes the economic impact of each of the wind energy projects on employment, income, taxes, and provision of community services.
  • Findings:
    • The projects contributed to significant increases in employment, personal income, tax income, and landowner net revenues.
    • Tax effects, particularly property taxes, were important.
    • Non-market benefits may be important: wind power is a non-polluting, low impact, and non-extractive form of energy that provides large positive benefits to local economies but has a relatively light impact on communities and their infrastructure (schools, roads, and social services).
    • Wind energy development does not involve the "boom and bust" economic and social conditions associated with other energy development.
    • Considered possible negative impacts of wind energy development, such as bird kills, damages to roads, and impact on land values.

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