There are no widespread negative property value impacts in communities with wind energy facilities, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The study takes into account both the view of the wind facilities and the distance of the home to the facilities.
The study, "The Impact of Wind Power Projects on Residential Property Values in the United States: A Multi-Site Hedonic Analysis" (PDF), collected data on almost 7,500 sales of single-family homes between 1996 and 2007 located within 10 miles of 24 existing wind facilities in nine different U.S. states.
The study results are considered a win for wind power companies and developers as many homeowners have used declining home values as a reason to oppose wind projects.
The new data may open up the possibility for more wind projects by commercial companies near urban environments.
Denise Bode, CEO for the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) issued a statement: "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."
