KU researchers part of national group showing primary barrier to energy infrastructure is governance, not technology

LAWRENCE — Research from the University of Kansas and partner institutions shows the primary barrier to energy infrastructure development is not technology, a common assumption in the national energy debate, but local governance and permitting.

The Just Energy Transitions & Place Project, a three-year, $500,000 project funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, has collected research from Kansas, Florida, Louisiana and Pennsylvania to both detail how governance hurdles can slow energy projects and offer tools for communities and governments to address such challenges.

The project collected research published in outlets including Oxford University Press, Sustainability, Environmental Law Reporter, Georgia State University Law Review and Planning Theory & Practice that found energy projects advance more effectively when governance roles are clearly defined, transparent and respectful of local authority. The research also found that mandates that overlook local realities such as economic, land use and other factors unique to a given location generate delays and opposition.

Ward Lyles, professor in KU’s School of Public Affairs & Administration, and Uma Outka, William R. Scott Law Professor at KU, led KU’s contribution to the project. They collaborated with team leaders Nadia Ahmad, professor of law at Barry University, and Elise Harrington of the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Affairs. Jennifer Baka and Hannah Wiseman of Penn State and Danielle Stokes of the University of Richmond were also part of the research team.

The project features publications by Lyles, Outka and colleagues on variations in local wind regulations, energy in environmental justice, just energy transitions and variations in county and city solar regulations.

In addition to research, the project gathered tools and resources that communities, governments and regulatory bodies can use to learn from peers across the country and address regulatory challenges. It also links to assets such as the Kansas Energy Transition Atlas, a GIS-powered, interactive tool featuring information on wind energy regulations and data on wind energy development for Kansas’ 105 counties and case studies of localities that have led successful energy infrastructure developments.

“This project, from day one, was focused on generating tools and resources that could be used and customized in place-based contexts,” Lyles said. “Local communities face many challenges in energy development, and they need to know how best to address them, as they are often the biggest innovators. We think these tools and this information can be useful to many communities.”