I’ve always been a big believer that local ownership is one of the most important drivers of renewable energy development. There’s a reason why these technologies took off so quickly in Germany and Denmark: Much of the development was owned by farmers or communities.

Here in the U.S., opposition to wind farms and other large-scale renewable energy projects often comes from distrust of outside companies. When people perceive — rightly or wrongly — that developers are in their communities only to make a quick buck by putting industrial projects on their land, backlash ensues. And when people don’t trust the process, they’re more likely to believe claims from opponents about wind turbine syndrome, predictions of collapse in property values, and charges about corporate land grabs.

via Why Local Ownership Of Renewable Energy Projects Matters In One Simple Chart | ThinkProgress.