Understanding the Link Between Policy Design and Distributional Impacts of Local Wind Energy Ordinances

ABSTRACT Zoning is one of the most widely used land use regulations in the U.S. An increasing number of local governments have adopted zoning ordinances to regulate renewable energy projects. However, there has been very limited research on the impact of this local regulatory tool. To address this research gap, this study examines the policy design features of local wind energy ordinances, and how they influence the siting of wind projects. We compile and analyze a novel dataset combining coded policy design features of over 700 local wind energy ordinances, block‐group level socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, and wind deployment data across Michigan for the years 2013, 2017, 2020 and 2023. Fixed effects model results reveal that stringent ordinances have a stronger constraining effect on wind development in higher‐income communities. The findings highlight the role of local land use policy design in shaping the distribution of wind energy infrastructure.