Energy next door: a meta-analysis of energy infrastructure impact on housing value

The decision to site energy facilities occurs largely at the local level, requiring community support for permitting and construction. Biomass and waste incineration have been broadly adopted in European and Asian countries. Yet, combustion and the placement of affiliated smokestacks are often contentious. Similarly, wind turbines, large photovoltaic arrays, and transmission lines are often criticized for disturbing viewsheds. As communities consider energy production, they often weigh benefits against concerns for how facilities may impinge on the local quality of life. This review of 54 studies spanning over forty years of statistical multi-variate housing price assessments in relation to energy supply infrastructure provides a comparative meta-analysis of both the negative and positive local impacts of siting energy infrastructure. The oldest studies in the 1960s investigated powerlines and waste-to-energy facilities, both with mixed results. A surge of studies in the 1990s assessed renewable energy infrastructure, including hydropower, wind, and rooftop solar, concluding that of all energy infrastructure only rooftop solar consistently positively impacts home value. Traditional electric substations, biomass boilers, solar farms, wave-power and geothermal have not yet been studied for their impact on nearby housing markets. Most of the studies focus on single-family homes, and few include race and income-levels, though such variables have been important in energy siting decisions and hedonic models. In conclusion, we chart a research agenda and conclude with recommendations for siting local energy infrastructure.