I will discuss how high-voltage transmission developers can secure a social license to operate among local stakeholders, particularly in rural communities. This discussion will cover how key stakeholders — especially county government officials and landowners — perceive high-voltage transmission projects, the reasons behind their strong opposition, and strategies that developers and project proponents can use to address and mitigate this opposition early in the process. Supplemental comments may include an overview of how mis/disinformation spreads within communities and the impact the loosely-knit transmission opposition community has on spurring opposition against transmission projects. This discussion will be largely informed by my in-person research, which examines local perceptions of high-voltage transmission line development in the Midwest, Plains, Mountain West, and Southwest. As of now, I have interviewed over 100 local stakeholders across 11 states, and I anticipate reaching around 150 stakeholders in 13 states by the end of the project this winter. Most of these interviews have been conducted in person with county government officials, landowners, and developers.
