ABSTRACT
The enthusiasm for renewable energy in the rural Midwest of the United States reveals valuable insights about people’s interactions with technology. This chapter argues that unarticulated identities held by technological users affect the outcome of energy transitions. Discourse analysis of farmers, policymakers, and business leaders demonstrates that unexpressed identities underlie rational arguments offered to justify the acceptance or rejection of energy technologies. This piece argues that this formation of identity using technology influences energy policy, especially on the local and state levels. By focusing on this little-studied area that accentuates unarticulated identity, one can better explain why traditionally conservative Republican states surprisingly lead the nation in promoting energy transitions that are often advocated by liberal politicians. Though this chapter uses reception of renewable energy by Midwesterners as the case example, it applies a novel approach for evaluating other energy systems by focusing on unarticulated identities that can be understood through discourse analysis. This study proves especially useful by shifting focus from economic incentives or environmental concerns to consideration of cultural values. The approach can aid policymakers and business leaders by de-emphasizing grassroots citizens’ movements and underscoring the significance of people’s unspoken identities that influence attitudes toward energy technologies.
