5. Discussion This study was designed to investigate the relationship between wind farm expectations, degree of expectation satisfactions, and attitudes toward wind energy in a rural area that has seen wind energy development and decades of population loss. This surveyin dicated respondents with stronger environmental attitudes were more likely to expect more negative impacts to the environment(wildlife interference, health impacts, decreases in visual beauty)and were less satisfied with the perceived economic development of wind energy in their community (job creation, economic benefits to the County, tax benefits, decreases in energy prices). This finding suggests that individuals with high environmental attitudes prior-itize the conservation of landscape for its natural setting over the economic gains associated with development of renewable energy.Written comments from survey respondents echo this view, with some commenters expressing a need to preserve “pristine prairie”from wind energy development and skepticism over economic ben-ef its they perceived to only benefit a few. The finding that residents with pro-environmental attitudes may oppose renewable energy projects has been previously reported [57]; and some studies using the NEP scale have found it to be the largest predictor of wind energy attitudes [29].