National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has released two new databases of state and local wind and solar energy zoning laws and ordinances in the United States. The data sets are machine-readable so geospatial analysts and researchers can readily analyze siting impacts. This work is part of ongoing research at NREL to explore the dynamics of land use and clean energy deployment.
Previous NREL research has found that total U.S. wind energy technical potential is seven times greater under the least restrictive siting regimes as compared to the most restrictive siting regimes. State and local zoning laws and ordinances influence how and where wind and solar energy projects can be sited and deployed – which can have a measurable impact on U.S. renewable energy resource potential.
As the United States targets…