An Estimation of the Level of Voluntary Financial Support for the Kansas Wind Energy Project

Abstract

Citizens in the Wichita Area have considerable interest in the generation of electrical power using wind turbines. For many of these people, the interest goes beyond voicing passive support for wind energy. Using one criterion, our survey of the Wichita Area identified more than 35% of the sample as being potential financial supporters of the Kansas Wind Energy Program (KWEP) at either 10 or 20 dollars per month. Using a stricter criterion, the survey identified 8% of the total sample as likely supporters of the KWEP.

In February 1998, the Institute for Public Policy and Business Research conducted a survey of 750 randomly chosen households in Butler, Harvey, Reno, and Sedgwick Counties. The survey separated respondents into those who were interested in supporting the KWEP and those who were not. More than 70% of the sample were interested. Then criteria were established for categorizing the interested respondents into two groups: those who were potential financial supporters and those who were likely financial supporters of the KWEP.