Learnewable has published the first results of its Learnewable Sentiment Index, a monthly, county-level indicator tracking community sentiment and permitting conditions for onshore wind, solar and battery energy storage systems across the USA. The initial index cycle covers the period from December 2025 to January 2026 and shows that conditions became more challenging across all three technologies. Onshore wind recorded the strongest decline, with the index falling by 29 % month on month. The average onshore wind score for the period stood at –0.27, indicating increased difficulty in community acceptance and permitting environments.
Solar projects also saw a deterioration in sentiment, with the average index at 0.025 and a decline of 14.4 % over the same period. Battery energy storage systems experienced a smaller reduction, with the index declining by 6.2 % month on month.
According to Learnewable, the index is intended to provide a consistent and comparable measure of local conditions affecting renewable energy development, allowing changes in sentiment and permitting environments to be tracked over time. The results suggest that onshore wind projects are currently facing greater headwinds at community level than other clean energy technologies.
The Learnewable Sentiment Index is designed to be used alongside the company’s stakeholder intelligence and tracking platform, which focuses on identifying local stakeholders and monitoring changes in sentiment and engagement throughout the development process.
