No illegal solar power generation projects

How many states are restricting new wind & solar projects?

The updated report highlights 31 states with local restrictions on new wind and solar projects. There are also 204 renewable projects that have been contested across 49 states, representing a 23.6% increase over the report’s September 2021 update. Mississippi was the only state without identified local opposition or restrictions.

Are local bans blocking wind and solar energy?

Across America, local bans, moratoriums and construction impediments are blocking wind and solar energy with increasing levels of red tape. Here's what USA TODAY's analysis found.

Are solar and wind projects built outside city limits?

Because large-scale solar and wind projects typically are built outside city limits, USA TODAY’s analysis focuses on restrictions by the county-level governments that have jurisdiction. In a few cases, such as Connecticut, Tennessee and Vermont, entire states have implemented near-statewide restrictions.

Does a rural solar project need local or state approval?

President Biden takes notes during a meeting to discuss clean energy efforts with CEOs of U.S. electric utility companies at the White House in February 2022. Yet every single rural utility-scale wind and solar project needs local or state approval to get built, says Sarah Mills, who researches rural renewable energy at the University of Michigan.

Is Citizens for responsible solar undermining public support for solar?

But her group's rhetoric points to a broader agenda of undermining public support for solar. Analysts who follow the industry say Citizens for Responsible Solar stokes opposition to solar projects by spreading misinformation online about health and environmental risks.

Are solar projects ruining the land they're built on?

The information on Ralston's website is "extremely misleading and appears designed to be misinformation," says Meyers of Virginia Tech. That includes claims that solar projects ruin the land they're built on. With the right practices, companies can improve local ecosystems, Meyers says, and farming can continue alongside power plants.