Ben Hoen is a Research Scientist in the Electricity Markets and Policy Department at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Ben conducts research and analysis on renewable energy, including: renewable energy policy analysis and assistance; cost, benefit, and market analysis; and public acceptance and market barriers. Ben leads the Community Impacts and Public Acceptance project area, which conducted past efforts such as the National Survey of Wind Project Neighbors and multiple investigations of property value effects of homes near wind projects or with solar systems installed on them. Ben also leads the Berkeley Lab's role in the maintaining of the U.S. Wind Turbine Database.
Since joining the lab in 2006, Ben has authored or co-authored more than 50 publications, including articles published in the Journal of Real Estate Research, Contemporary Economic Policy, RE Focus, the Appraisal Journal, Energy Policy, Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Environment International, Energy Research & Social Science and Energy Economics, Wind Engineering, and Scientific Data.
Previously, Ben worked in the paper recycling industry in Baltimore, and set up and ran his own business in Brooklyn, NY. Ben has Bachelor’s degrees in Finance and General Business from the University of Maryland and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Policy from Bard College. He lives in the Hudson Valley of New York with his wife, two sons and menagerie of pets.