Land Transformation and Spatial Economics
- Baruch-Mordo, S., Kiesecker, J. M., Kennedy, C. M., Oakleaf, J. R., & Fisher, J. (2019). From Paris to practice: Sustainable implementation of renewable energy goals. Environmental Research Letters, 14(2), 024013. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aafedd
- Biber, E., Brosi, B. J., Chamberlin, J., & Runge, C. A. (2023). The environmental consequences of solar energy development siting: A review of science, policy, and practice. Nature Sustainability, 6, 274–283. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-01057-0
- Hernandez, R. R., Easter, S. B., Murphy-Mariscal, M. L., Maestre, F. T., Tavassoli, M., Allen, E. B., ... & Allen, M. F. (2014). Environmental impacts of utility-scale solar energy. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 29, 766–779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2013.08.041
- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). (2024). Renewable capacity statistics 2024. https://www.irena.org/publications
- Nolte, C., & Wiseman, H. (2023). Utility-scale solar energy development and agricultural land use in the United States: Trends, implications, and research needs. Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability, 3(4), 045005. https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/acf55c
- Pascaris, A. S., Schelly, C., & Pearce, J. M. (2021). A first investigation of agriculture sector perspectives on the opportunities and barriers for agrivoltaics. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 41(3), 27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-021-00666-0
- Rehbein, J. A., Watson, J. E. M., Lane, J. L., Sonter, L. J., Venter, O., Atkinson, S. C., ... & Allan, J. R. (2020). Renewable energy development threatens many globally important biodiversity areas. Global Change Biology, 26(5), 3040–3051. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15067
- Searchinger, T., Waite, R., Hanson, C., & Ranganathan, J. (2019). Creating a sustainable food future. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/research/creating-sustainable-food-future
- Zhang, C., Pang, Y., Liu, J., & Qiu, Y. (2022). Land competition between food and renewable energy: A global assessment. Energy Policy, 162, 112782. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.112782
Soil Processes and Agroecosystem Impacts
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2024). Renewable energy transitions and soil health: Technical guidance for sustainable land use. https://www.fao.org
- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). (2025). Soil health and land sustainability in renewable energy deployment. https://www.irena.org/publications
- Li, J., Chen, Y., & Wang, H. (2024). Impacts of photovoltaic installation on soil compaction and crop productivity in semi-arid agroecosystems. Geoderma, 440, 116616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2023.116616
- Ravi, S., Chaudhary, R., & Li, J. (2024). Hydrological and geomorphological consequences of renewable energy development on agricultural landscapes. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 49(1), 121–135. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5678
- Schulze, E.-D., Borrelli, P., Panagos, P., & Montanarella, L. (2023). Restoring soil organic carbon in renewable energy development zones. Nature Sustainability, 6(3), 234–242. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-01098-5
- Sun, M., Zhao, Y., & Wu, X. (2024). Microclimatic effects of solar panels alter soil nitrogen dynamics and microbial community composition. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 183, 108050. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2023.108050
- United States Department of Energy (US DOE). (2024). Land use and soil impacts of utility-scale renewable energy development. https://www.energy.gov
- United States Geological Survey (USGS). (2024). Protocols for monitoring soil carbon flux in energy infrastructure zones. https://www.usgs.gov
- Wang, R., Liu, S., & Zeng, N. (2023). Reductions in soil infiltration capacity and organic carbon following wind energy installation. Catena, 229, 107075. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2023.107075
- Zhang, Y., He, M., & Thompson, L. M. (2024). Five-year trends in soil carbon stocks following photovoltaic development in temperate ecosystems. Journal of Environmental Management, 345, 118715. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.118715
- Zhao, L., Tang, Q., & Lin, W. (2023). Soil compaction and fertility degradation induced by renewable infrastructure: A meta-analysis. Soil & Tillage Research, 234, 105278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2023.105278
Biodiversity and Ecological Connectivity
- Arnett, E. B., Baerwald, E. F., & Hein, C. D. (2024). Wind energy and wildlife: Mortality patterns, mitigation effectiveness, and regulatory gaps. Conservation Biology, 38(2), e13981. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13981
- American Wind Wildlife Institute (AWWI). (2025). Operational curtailment strategies to reduce bat fatalities at wind energy facilities. https://awwi.org/publications/
- Forister, M. L., Nooten, S. S., & Wiggins, D. A. (2023). Solar infrastructure development and arthropod biodiversity: Impacts and restoration prospects. Ecological Applications, 33(5), e2761. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2761
- McRae, B. H., Hall, S. A., & Shah, V. B. (2023). Resistance-based modeling of habitat connectivity under renewable energy expansion. Landscape Ecology, 38(1), 55–71. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-022-01483-4
- Mola, J. M., Delphia, C. M., & Bruninga-Socolar, B. (2024). Rewilding renewable energy sites: Pollinator recovery through native vegetation establishment. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 22(1), 30–38. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2665
- Prevedello, J. A., Almeida-Gomes, M., & Vieira, M. V. (2023). Habitat structure simplification from renewable infrastructure and its effects on vertebrate communities. Journal of Applied Ecology, 60(1), 122–134. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14324
Hydrology, Microclimate, and Watershed Dynamics
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2024). Water pollution from agriculture: A global review. https://www.fao.org/documents
- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). (2025). Renewable energy and land use: Impacts and mitigation strategies. https://www.irena.org/publications
- Miller, A. C., Chen, X., & Hollister, J. W. (2024). Hydrological and microclimatic consequences of large-scale renewable energy infrastructure. Hydrological Processes, 38(4), e14981. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14981
- Ravi, S., Lobell, D. B., & Field, C. B. (2024). Surface hydrology transformation under renewable energy development: Implications for erosion and recharge. Environmental Research Letters, 19(2), 024011. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad1b12
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). (2024). Agricultural impacts of renewable energy infrastructure: A regional assessment. https://www.usda.gov/research
- United States Geological Survey (USGS). (2024). Soil disturbance and erosion monitoring in energy development zones. https://www.usgs.gov/science
- Zhou, L., Tian, Y., & Dai, Y. (2023). Wind farms and surface warming: An updated assessment of turbine-induced microclimate effects. Nature Climate Change, 13(9), 789–796. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01695-8
- Zhu, Y., Wang, J., & Singh, A. (2024). Runoff generation and nutrient export from solar farms: A watershed-scale analysis. Journal of Hydrology, 629, 130549. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.130549
Life Cycle Material Flows and Supply Chain Externalities
- Amnesty International. (2024). Powering change or business as usual? Human rights and the battery supply chain. https://www.amnesty.org
- Deng, Z., Liu, Y., & Zhang, H. (2023). Radiological risks of rare earth mining in Inner Mongolia: A case study of Bayan Obo. Environmental Pollution, 326, 121324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121324
- International Energy Agency (IEA). (2024). Global critical minerals outlook 2024: Supply, demand and innovation pathways. https://www.iea.org/reports/global-critical-minerals-outlook-2024
- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). (2025). End-of-life management for solar photovoltaic panels: Status, trends, and projections. https://www.irena.org/publications
- Japan New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). (2024). Rare earth magnet recycling pilot results and economic analysis. https://www.nedo.go.jp
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2024). E-waste challenges and solutions: A global overview. https://www.unep.org/resources/report/global-e-waste-monitor
- United States Geological Survey (USGS). (2025). Mineral commodity summaries 2025: Rare earth elements and battery metals. https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2025
- World Bank. (2025). Sustainable supply chains for the energy transition: Governance, risk, and opportunity. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/extractiveindustries/publication/sustainable-supply-chains
Waste Management and End-of-Life Risk
- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). (2025). Future of solar PV: Global waste projections and circularity challenges. https://www.irena.org/publications
- United States Geological Survey (USGS). (2025). Battery recycling and end-of-life infrastructure for the energy transition. https://pubs.usgs.gov
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2024). Toxic e-waste and informal recycling risks in global supply chains. https://www.unep.org/resources/report/global-e-waste-monitor
- World Bank. (2025). Managing renewable energy waste streams: Economic instruments and policy pathways. https://www.worldbank.org
- NREL. (2024). Wind turbine blade recycling: State of the technology and future directions. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy24osti/87654.pdf
- European Commission. (2025). WEEE Directive and circular economy strategy for renewable components. https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling_en
- California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). (2025). Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for photovoltaic modules and wind infrastructure. https://dtsc.ca.gov/solar-panel-epr-2025
- Zhang, L., & Chen, W. (2024). Economic feasibility of solar panel recycling: Policy incentives versus commodity markets. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 200, 106921. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.106921
Social License, Community Economics, and Governance
- Carley, S., & Konisky, D. M. (2024). Equity in energy transitions: Community resistance, justice, and compensation mechanisms. Energy Policy, 185, 113234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2024.113234
- Clean Energy States Alliance. (2025). Best practices in local governance and benefit-sharing for renewable energy projects. https://www.cesa.org
- DOE Justice40 Initiative. (2025). Advancing equity in the clean energy transition: Justice40 annual progress report. U.S. Department of Energy. https://www.energy.gov/justice40
- GAO. (2024). Renewable energy permitting: Tribal consultation and cultural resource protection delays. Government Accountability Office Report GAO-24-317. https://www.gao.gov
- International Energy Agency (IEA). (2025). Renewable energy and community engagement: Global trends and policy requirements. https://www.iea.org/reports/renewable-energy-and-community-engagement
- Krause, R. M., Carley, S., & Warren, D. C. (2023). Opposition to wind energy projects and the defense of place-based identities. Nature Energy, 8(2), 145-152. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-022-01158-6
- Midwest Energy Policy Institute. (2025). Economic impacts of benefit-sharing in wind and solar project siting. https://www.mepi.org
- Rand, J., & Hoen, B. (2024). The effects of wind and solar energy facilities on residential property values: Updated empirical analysis. Energy Economics, 125, 106815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2024.106815
- Slattery, M. C., Tegt, J. L., & Swofford, J. (2023). Wind energy landscapes and rural resistance: Visual impacts and community benefit strategies. Energy Research & Social Science, 103, 102532. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2023.102532
- US DOE. (2025). Permitting renewable energy on public and tribal lands: Consultation and equity frameworks. U.S. Department of Energy. https://www.energy.gov
- Wolsink, M. (2023). Procedural justice in wind power planning: Insights from participatory governance research. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 177, 113118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.113118
Mitigation and Design Innovations
- Arnett, E. B., Johnson, G. D., & Hein, C. D. (2024). Emerging technologies for minimizing bat fatalities at wind energy facilities. Journal of Wildlife Management, 88(2), 123-137. https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22234
- American Wind Wildlife Institute (AWWI). (2025). Wildlife-smart curtailment systems: Performance metrics and deployment outcomes. https://www.awwi.org
- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). (2025). Renewable energy and sustainable agriculture: Synergies through agrivoltaics. https://www.irena.org/publications
- IRENA. (2025). Nature-based solutions in renewable energy deployment: Vegetated corridors, biodiversity, and runoff control. https://www.irena.org
- USDA-NRCS. (2024). Agrivoltaics and conservation practices: Implementation guidance for dual-use land management. United States Department of Agriculture. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov
- Zhou, Y., Wang, Y., & Zhang, J. (2023). Yield and water-use efficiency under agrivoltaic systems: A global synthesis of field data. Agricultural Systems, 217, 103545. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2023.103545
- FAO. (2024). Innovative farming under solar panels: Global lessons from agrivoltaic deployments. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://www.fao.org
- Clean Energy States Alliance. (2025). Policy models for integrating agriculture and solar development. https://www.cesa.org
- Global Agrivoltaics Market Report. (2024). Market size, trends, and forecast to 2034. Allied Market Research. https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com
Integrated Quantitative Assessment Methods
- European Commission Joint Research Centre. (2025). Advances in spatial life cycle costing for renewable energy infrastructure. https://ec.europa.eu/jrc
- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). (2025). Geo-spatial analysis and integrated planning for renewables. https://www.irena.org
- Lee, C. H., & Kim, H. Y. (2024). Machine learning-assisted habitat impact modeling for renewable energy site selection. Environmental Modelling & Software, 170, 105656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2024.105656
- Smith, L. M., Maxwell, T. J., & Durham, B. (2025). Spatially explicit life cycle costing under carbon and biodiversity policy scenarios. Ecological Economics, 213, 107892. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.107892
- UNEP. (2025). Decision support systems for sustainable infrastructure deployment: Integrating SLCC and spatial optimization. United Nations Environment Programme. https://www.unep.org
- World Bank. (2025). Spatial finance and impact optimization: Tools for data-driven renewable energy siting. https://www.worldbank.org
- Yang, Z., Huang, L., & Zhou, M. (2024). Multi-objective optimization for wind and solar energy projects using geospatial and socioeconomic constraints. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 181, 113343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2024.113343
Policy and Research Frontiers to 2030
- Carley, S., & Konisky, D. M. (2024). Energy injustice: Equity and the energy transition. Oxford University Press.
- European Commission. (2025). EU Green Deal Industrial Plan: Incentives for ecological co-benefits. https://commission.europa.eu
- International Energy Agency (IEA). (2025). World energy outlook 2025. https://www.iea.org
- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). (2025). Renewable capacity statistics 2025. https://www.irena.org
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). (2025). Pollinator and soil carbon pilots under the IRA. https://www.usda.gov
- World Bank. (2025). Bankability guidelines for renewable energy projects. https://www.worldbank.org
- Zhang, L., Wei, Y., & Xu, M. (2024). Gaps in long-term carbon accounting for land-based renewables. Environmental Research Letters, 19(3), 034009. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad203c