Stakeholder Survey Analysis
Altogether, our research group mailed a total of 5,079 surveys to the three California desert communities: 2,000 were sent to El Centro, 1,910 were sent to Lucerne Valley, and 1,169 were sent to Newberry Springs (of which 559 were identified as "absentee owners", meaning that they owned property in Newberry Springs, but did not reside there). The survey consisted of a range of questions about respondents opinions and concerns regarding solar development. Further information on the survey, including a more detailed methodology, can be found in Appendix A.
Of the 5,079 surveys sent, 577 hard copies and 47 online versions of the survey were returned, representing a 12.3 percent overall response rate. With an aggregate sample size of 624 respondents out of a total population of 43,600, our study has a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error of roughly 4 percent (Table 1).
| Community | Population | Surveys Sent | Returned | Response Rate | Percent Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Centro | 44259.0 | 2000.0 | 150 | 7.5 percent | 24.0 percent |
| Lucerne Valley | 7500.0 | 1919.0 | 180 | 9.4 percent | 28.8 percent |
| Newberry Springs | 2895.0 | 1169.0 | 294 | 25.1 percent | 47.1 percent |
| Totals | 43600.0 | 5079.0 | 624 | 12.3 percent | 100.0 percent |
In terms of age, the majority of respondents were older than 40, with 44 percent reporting to be between the ages of 40 and 60 and 46 percent reporting to be older than 60 (Figure 1). These results are surprising, since the median age in El Centro is 30 and the median in Lucerne Valley and Newberry Springs is 40.1 This might indicate that older residents pay more attention to the issue, though it might also suggest that they are more likely to respond to surveys in general.
