Learnewable uses AI-based insights to detail local solar opposition before developers invest time or energy in projects.
Local opposition to solar energy comes in many forms, from neighbors who live near proposed large-scale installations, to organized groups and municipal boards who pass legislation banning utility scale projects. For the developer, opposition equals risk and risk reduces the bankability of projects.
Learnewable is a startup that offers developers an AI-based tool that provides risk assessments based on insights into local opposition to siting solar, battery energy storage, wind and even data centers. The company recently launched an interactive county-level map that uses those insights to show solar developers the social landscape before they begin the process of due diligence for a project.
The way it works is Learnewable gleans information on local sentiment, permitting, zoning, restriction and moratoria from public records, local news and social media. It then applies multiple AI tools to normalize and cross-validate, resulting in a score on a five-point scale on sentiment and permitting ease/risk.
When using the map, developers can zoom in with the company’s “Site Scout” on specific locations to gather far more information. For example, Site Scout offers not only public sentiment in the specific location, but also provides details on regulatory factors, names and contact information of key stakeholders and tools to continue monitoring evolving narratives for potential new risk signals.
