The relocation of industries and population due to SPS implementation is dependent upon choice of site and the cost of electrical transmission, among other factors. The cost of electricity, by itself, may not be a sufficient incentive for industry to relocate. Industries most likely to relocate to rectenna site regions are those which consume a significant amount of electricity and have an uncertain energy supply future. Such energy-intensive industries include iron and steel, chemicals, paper, and aluminum. "Boomtown" phenomena have occurred in recent years with the introduction of coal gasification plants in Wyoming and the construction of other new energy generation technologies in rural areas of the U.S. It is likely that this would occur at SPS rectenna sites, too. Growth-induced effects at these sites through population in-migration following industrial relocation are predictable. One approach which can be used to predict local (at the county level) socioeconomic impacts is based on export base theory, which relates net regional migration to basic (i.e., export) economic activity. Computer models have been developed to perform this type of analysis. At the same time that "boomtown" phenomena have occurred, there has developed a general shift away from centralizing tendencies in the U.S. A militant new regionalism is likely to emerge in the next decade. Conflicts over energy and environmental issues are increasingly perceived as regional conflicts. State and local entities are assuming increasing influence over energy policy decisions, and general public policy matters. This means that the SPS may have to meet regional energy needs if no single national policy exists at the time of its introduction. The SPS may have to conform to a "de facto" national energy policy which focuses on utilization of geographically diverse fuel sources. There is also a trend for the U.S. to become a multi-option society, rather than an either-or society. This flexibility is reflected in the increasing interest in "appropriate scale" for technological innovations, rather than an emphasis on "economies of scale." An outreach experiment was initiated in an effort to acquire feedback about the SPS concept from three public interest groups: the Citizen's Energy Project, the Forum for the Advancement of Students in Science and Technology, and the L-5 Society. Each group summarized approximately 20 SPS reports and distributed the summaries to 3000 of their constituents requesting their comments and questions. Responses received were submitted to DOE for comment. The methods adopted to accomplish their assigned tasks were independently chosen by each group. Therefore, the kinds of feedback information received, both qualitatively and quantatively, are a result of the methods used to obtain this information, and are different for each group. The CEP position is very much in opposition to SPS. This organization advocates decentralized small- scale solar energy systems. Therefore, the two major reasons given for opposing SPS are the trend toward centralization which SPS is indicative of, and the cost of SPS which might extract funds from terrestrial solar alternatives. The FASST position on SPS is relatively neutral. The major focus is on the process of outreach and an effort to include student participation in the development of an advanced technological system. The L-5 position is very much in favor of
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