Practitioners’ perceived risks to biodiversity from renewable energy expansion through 2050
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
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Abstract
Large-scale (e.g., > 1 megawatt capacity) wind and solar energy (hereafter, LSWS) developments are increasing to aid decarbonization. However, LSWS can also negatively affect biodiversity. Planners and other interested parties’ perceptions about the impact of LSWS on biodiversity will thus affect how trade-offs are managed during planning and buildout. We present a survey of professionals (n=116) working at the intersection of LSWS and biodiversity protection across the United States concerning: (1) perceived environmental impacts from LSWS expansion; and (2) how these impacts compare to other land-use and land-cover change drivers. We find that practitioners perceive LSWS to impact biodiversity negatively but less so than other land-cover change drivers, including fossil fuels and agriculture. This highlights the need for increased attention to the role of practitioners in advancing renewable energy and biodiversity conservation.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Practitioners’ perceived risks to biodiversity from renewable energy expansion through 2050 |
| Series title | Humanities and Social Sciences Communications |
| DOI | 10.1057/s41599-025-04558-9 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Publication Date | February 27, 2025 |
| Year Published | 2025 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Springer Nature |
| Contributing office(s) | Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center |
| Description | 263, 15 p. |
| Country | United States |