New Publication: Renewable Energy Permitting and the Governance Trade-Off
January 16, 2026
I’m pleased to share that UMass News and Media Relations has featured my recent publication in the Policy Studies Journal, co-authored with Natalie Baillargeon, a master’s candidate here at UMass Amherst.
Our article, “Balancing Participation and Speed: A Polycentric Governance Lens on Renewable-Energy Siting”, examines a challenge that often gets overlooked in federal permitting debates: most renewable energy projects in the U.S. are actually permitted at the state and local level. Roughly 96% of large renewable projects are built on private land, where federal environmental review laws typically don’t apply.
We found that states take widely different approaches—some centralize authority at the state level, others leave decisions entirely to local governments, and many use hybrid systems that vary by project size. These different governance structures create real trade-offs. Centralized systems with streamlined procedures tend to move faster but offer fewer opportunities for meaningful public input. More distributed systems with multiple approval venues provide greater participation but can be slower and less predictable.
What does this mean for the energy transition? As I noted in the piece, communities have to decide what their values are—and then have the courage to follow them. One key takeaway: early community engagement can make all the difference, potentially converting denials into approvals with minor modifications.
This research was supported by the Roosevelt Institute and the NSF-funded ELEVATE program at UMass.
Read the full UMass News story here.
