By Gabriella Placido, CELS Communications Fellow
Imagine trying to study in temperatures exceeding 110 degrees with no air conditioning or fans and frequent power outages. That was a daily struggle for Vasundhara Gaur growing up in Lucknow, India. “I remember studying by candlelight at night for hours,” explains Gaur, a PhD student in the University of Rhode Island College of the Environment and Life Sciences (CELS). “While sitting there sweltering, I asked myself, ‘why doesn’t anyone study this?’ This is where my interest in energy conflicts originated from,” states Gaur.
India’s energy challenges prompted Gaur to pursue a master’s degree in environmental and natural resource economics at the Energy and Resources Institute School of Advanced Sciences in New Delhi, India focusing on large-scale energy shortages and theft. According to Gaur, it was common practice in this region for thieves to steal electricity from other people by simply attaching a wire to an electric pole. Studying these local challenges led Gaur to an exciting conclusion. “I realized I was sitting on a treasure trove of information regarding a conflict that can be applied to other energy issues across the world,” says Gaur. “I knew I needed to expand my studies and get this research out into the world.”
She later enrolled in a PhD program in the Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (ENRE) department in CELS where she is studying conflicts surrounding solar array installations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, a collection of multiple solar panels that generate electricity as a system. After looking at programs around the world, she says the interdisciplinary program at CELS stood out because of the flexibility it offered. “I found an amazing place here in CELS where I am uplifted,” she says. “ENRE is very diverse, and I am inspired by some amazing female professors.”
According to Gaur, Rhode Island and Massachusetts have ambitious goals to source a high percentage of their energy production from renewable sources instead of fossil fuel-based energy such as natural gas. “Rhode Island wants about 39% of the state’s energy to be produced from renewable sources by 2035,” explains Gaur. “The state is currently only at about 9%.
“Increasing production of renewable energy sources would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow the progression of climate change,” says Gaur. Unfortunately, it has also resulted in conflicts over solar sprawl due to the rapid increase in solar developments.“I attended a few town meetings in Rhode Island and I have seen first-hand that this is a very contentious issue because of all the conflicting interests,” says Gaur, whose research explores the range of conflicts that arise from those affected by solar panel developments. She hopes to help mitigate these issues with her findings.
Gaur states that improved air quality and other comprehensive environmental and economic benefits are encouraging town councils to install as many solar arrays as possible. However, many solar panels are being installed on farmlands, which use valuable farmland for solar panels. Additionally, many residents don’t want vast tracts of their rural, forested, New England landscapes converted into miles of solar panels.“Locals expect small rural towns to feature the scenes they’re used to of lush trees and peaceful farm animals that they have always been known for,” explains Gaur, who points to another unintended consequence. Solar installations have ironically angered many environmental activists as developers have sought to cut down tracts of forest for solar, which many see as counter-productive. “In this case, environmentalists are fighting other environmentalists,” says Gaur. “Everyone wants what is best for the environment, yet they have different ideas about how to achieve that,” she says.
Gaur’s research digs deeper into this conflict by exploring the economic impact of solar developments on nearby homeowners. According to her study, property values in Rhode Island and Massachusetts declined by around 2percent, or about $5,700, per house from solar installations. “If you consider all of the homes in these two states that are near solar installations, this is cumulatively equal to about $1.7 billion in property value losses,” she explains.
“Right now, financial losses from new solar installations are not being considered equitably,” Gaur adds. “The losses need to be distributed more evenly to mitigate the conflict behind expansive solar installations and to help renewable energy progress forward more smoothly for everyone.”
Gaur states that she is currently studying a possible solution to this conflict that could appease all interest groups. It involves installing solar panels on brownfields: former contaminated industrial sites that have been safely remediated for reuse. “We encourage continued solar production to help mitigate climate change, but we hope this data helps form better guidelines going forward in a way that is more holistic and understanding of all of the costs and benefits for all the stakeholders involved.”