Abstract
This paper looks at the relationship between media coverage of solar power and the solar panel installation at a state level. Specifically, it aims to find if more newspaper articles cause more households to adopt solar energy. Use data from 20 states from 2009 to 2014. I find that there is a modest, yet positive and statistically significant relationship between newspaper articles and installations, which suggests that the media does influence the decision to install solar panels. There is possible endogeneity between these two variables. Disentangling this endogeneity is beyond the scope of this research and would be a topic of future research. I also find that media presence is more influential in liberal states compared to conservative ones, but this result is not statistically significant.
Recommended Citation
Romeo, Casey
(2016)
"Media effects on solar panel installations across 20 states,"
Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby: Vol. 3:
Iss.
1, Article 8.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/jerec/vol3/iss1/8
Included in
Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons, Agricultural Economics Commons, Biodiversity Commons, Economics Commons, Environmental Health Commons, Forest Management Commons, Natural Resource Economics Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Oil, Gas, and Energy Commons, Sustainability Commons, Water Resource Management Commons