The Rise of “Private Participation” in the Planning of Energy Projects in the Rural United States

Public participation in local planning decisions is widely advocated as an important component of democratic decision making. It is linked to a number of positive outcomes, including increased resident satisfaction and more effective decision making. In the realm of energy development, many local governments lack regulatory control and thus lack a venue for public participation in this type of land-use decision. Private landowners are increasingly afforded the ability to participate in the planning and siting of these energy developments though contractual land leasing negotiations. Even as this form of participation becomes widespread, it occurs outside of the public sphere and challenges the traditional notions of participation in land use decisions. This article introduces the concept of “private participation” and provides results of a mail survey (n = 1,028) that reveal that such participation appears to increase landowner perceptions of control and information access, and ultimately positive attitudes toward the developments.