AWEA statement on new U.S. energy department study revealing wind projects have no impact on property values

AWEA, 02 December 2009, 11:48am

PRESS RELEASE - The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) today issued the following statement by AWEA CEO Denise Bode following the release of a study by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory concluding that proximity to wind energy facilities does not have a pervasive or widespread adverse effect on the property values of nearby homes:

The conclusions of this study could not be more definitive—wind farms do not weaken property values. These important research findings offer good news for those communities that might be considering the location of wind farms nearby. Wind energy has multiple benefits: it creates jobs, reduces greenhouse gases, and delivers direct economic benefits to rural communities. Now we can also say that wind energy has no impact on property values.

The DOE-sponsored study examined 7,500 single-family property sales between 1996 and 2007 in order to record values from before the announcement of a wind energy facility to a period after it was built and operating.

For more information on the Energy Department study, go to http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/ems/re-pubs.html.

AWEA is the national trade association of America’s wind industry, with more than 2,500 member companies, including global leaders in wind power and energy development, wind turbine manufacturing, component and service suppliers, and the world’s largest wind power trade show. AWEA is the voice of wind energy in the U.S., promoting renewable energy to power a cleaner, stronger America. Look up information on wind energy at the AWEA Web site: http://www.awea.org/. Find insight on industry issues at AWEA’s blog Into the Wind: http://www.awea.org/blog/. Join AWEA on Facebook. Follow AWEA on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AWEA.