Regional socio-political factors influencing deployment of emerging energy technologies for climate change mitigation in the United States: Comparative study of three states

We explore socio-political influences on deployment patterns of two emerging, low-carbon, climate-mitigating energy technologies in the United States (US).  We use media presentations and personal interviews with key energy policy actors in Massachusetts, Texas and Minnesota, U.S, to identify important patterns in state-level socio-political norms and structures related to wind power and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.  Through comparative content and frame analysis of newspaper coverage and through interviews with critical energy technology actors in these states, we clarify variation in the salience of wind and CCS technology, and compare public framing of the technology’s risks and benefits.