Michaud and his partners at the University of Pennsylvania and Indiana University received funding through the US Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office, specifically through their Solar Energy Evolution and Diffusion Studies (SEEDS) program.

The team will follow 24 large-scale solar project sites across the US over the next three years, using interviews, surveys, site visits, and other strategies to understand the factors that shape community attitudes about the projects. For example, Michaud noted that mistrust of outside energy companies or negative attitudes toward renewable energy can drive community opposition, which can delay or block new solar installations.

“These social factors are slowing down the build-out of renewable energy infrastructure, which is important for the energy transition and reducing harmful emissions from fossil fuel generation assets,” he said. “We’ll work with communities to better understand what works for them in terms of building projects, and we’ll leverage those findings to help other communities considering large-scale solar.”

The researchers will compare siting practices and area residents’ reactions in three community types: disadvantaged communities, communities with historic fossil fuel industries, and communities without these characteristics. The researchers aim to shed light on practices that increase or decrease support for large-scale solar in each community type. They will also investigate strategies for ensuring the equitable distribution of the costs and benefits of large-scale solar projects.

“If we can come up with tangible ways to help citizens learn about and engage with projects, particularly with procedural and distributive energy justice in mind, then we will have been successful and impactful in our research,” said Michaud.

Michaud has studied large-scale solar projects for nearly eight years and has given talks on the topic across the United States and internationally. He was also part of a team that received a 2021 SEEDS grant to examine how rural communities can make informed decisions about

large-scale installations. Michaud will leverage his extensive relationships with solar developers, local government officials, and other renewable energy experts to lead community and industry outreach in the study sites. He will also help lead stakeholder interviews and analyze messages about solar projects in news outlets and social media.

Loyola students will also have opportunities to get involved in the project. Michaud’s DOE funding allows him to offer paid internships for undergraduates and graduate students. Students in his research group assist with activities such as transcribing and coding data and writing reports.

The students gain valuable experience conducting social science research on complex energy policy issues, and they build connections in the renewable energy field. Michaud said that alumni from his research group have all gone on to successful careers in the energy sector, working for solar developers, industry groups, and government agencies.

The new SEEDS grant will enable Michaud, his student interns, and his collaborators to expand their research and help facilitate an equitable transition to clean energy.

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In April 2023, Loyola announced that the University had signed an agreement to purchase power from the Double Black Diamond project (pictured above), a large-scale solar development in central Illinois owned and operated by Swift Current Energy. Photo courtesy of Swift Current Energy