Climate policy beliefs, not problem visibility, drive rural opposition to wind energy projects

Abstract Scholars note an increasing number of cases of rural opposition to wind energy projects (WEPs), commonly attributed to their visual impacts, as their tall steel structures appear out of place in rural settings. In other words, WEPs stand out as ‘visible problems’ in rural areas. Through a pre-registered online survey experiment administered to a representative sample of the U.S. population (n = 1,489), we examine whether WEP’s visual impacts, shaped by their size and the surrounding landscape, drive the rural-urban WEP support gap. We find that urban respondents favor larger WEPs in rural landscapes. In contrast, rural respondents show less support for WEPs irrespective of their size or the surrounding landscape. Mediation analysis suggests that rural opposition stems from rural residents being less likely than urban residents to prioritize climate policies over economic concerns. To ensure rural support, we suggest that policymakers and project developers should not only frame but also design WEPs as viable options to support the rural economy and electricity affordability.