Spatial and economic prioritization for distributed wind
Journal Article
Overview
abstract
This study investigates how distributed wind energy could be strategically deployed in areas with elevated energy burdens by analyzing spatial, economic, and demographic factors. We use a set of metrics that incorporate residential and macroeconomic variables to better capture affordability across different income levels. These metrics are correlated with demand-adjusted annual energy production, which reflects DW potential across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. Using mixed-effect modeling and state-level fixed-effect regressions, we identify key covariates associated with high energy burden. Our results reveal significant geographic variability both across and within states, with stronger correlations between DW potential and residential energy burden in regions where it is closely tied to poverty rates and agricultural activities. While noting that these associations do not imply causal effects, we group states based on correlation strength and DW potential. This highlights potential opportunities to improve energy affordability through targeted siting of distributed wind projects whose low relative cost, ability to be sized to match demand, and potential to create local employment may be leveraged to alleviate energy burdens and drive local economic gains.
