FAQs
Your trusted source for fact-based information about renewable energy.
Do wind or solar farms hurt property values?
No. Long-term, comprehensive studies have shown that wind and solar power does not affect property values. Rather, it is a driver for economic development in the host communities and supports local municipal services that benefit all property owners.
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory collected data from more than 50,000 home sales from 27 counties in nine states. "Across all model specifications, we find no statistical evidence that home prices near wind turbines were affected in either the post-construction or post announcement/preconstruction periods." LBNL, A Spatial Hedonic Analysis of the Effects of Wind Energy Facilities on Surrounding Property Values in the United States.
A Bloomberg Businessweek article (Oct. 2016) reported that investments in wind power have actually helped increase assessed land values in some of the poorest areas of rural America.
In addition, the Wind Energy Production Tax Credit has benefitted many communities by keeping property taxes lower and offering another source of income for counties and townships.
Large solar projects often have no negative impact on property values. In some cases, they may even have tangible positive effects. Proximity to solar farms does not negatively impact the sales of agricultural or residential land or deter its purchase. On residential properties, installation of rooftop solar panels can drive the value of a home up to 4.1% higher than it would have been without the project.
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