Doug Bessette

Doug Bessette is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Sustainability at Michigan State University's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. His work bridges interdisciplinary human-environment systems with applied decision research to address complex energy and sustainability challenges at multiple scales.

His primary research interests focus on sustainable energy systems and community energy development, with specific expertise in large-scale solar implementation, energy transitions, and community engagement processes. Bessette employs structured decision-making frameworks that incorporate value-focused thinking to help stakeholders identify objectives, generate alternatives, predict consequences, and make explicit tradeoffs between values and strategies.

His recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on understanding community acceptance of renewable energy projects, particularly large-scale solar development. His work examines the relationship between community values, identity, sense of place, and project support, challenging the traditional NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) hypothesis. He has developed practical tools like the US Renewable Energy Organized Opposition & Support Database and the Community-Centered Solar Development guidebook to support evidence-based decision-making.

Bessette leads the Energy Values Lab at MSU, which has secured research funding for multiple projects examining the social dimensions of energy transitions. His lab employs both graduate and undergraduate researchers, including work on survey methodology for assessing community attitudes toward solar development.

His research extends beyond energy to include organic and sustainable agriculture, coastal climate risk management, natural resource management in developing territories, and green infrastructure. Notably, his work on women's empowerment and electricity access in Zambia demonstrates his commitment to understanding the intersection of energy access and social equity.