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This report supports the NCSP 2025 goal by documenting existing state-level community solar policies and programs. Although the purpose of this report is to present the existing market and policy status for community solar, with increasing attention on expanding access to solar energy for LMI customers, we also discuss key considerations for incorporating energy justice into community solar policies.
Ecologically informed photovoltaic (PV) developments that co-prioritize PV electricity generation with ecosystem function (‘ecovoltaics’) have emerged as a promising land sharing strategy to minimize ecological conflicts associated with PV solar energy development. While habitat-focused ecovoltaic designs can conceptually benefit biodiversity by offsetting or enhancing impacts of PV development, foundational field research is needed to examine how wildlife respond to these novel ecosystems. We conducted passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) in 2023 and 2024 at 13 solar facilities and paired control sites to investigate avian community responses to ecovoltaic facilities in the Midwestern United States. Compared to control sites (row crop agricultural fields), we found that ecovoltaic sites supported more grassland bird species throughout a 17-week monitoring period between May and September. Grassland bird communities on ecovoltaic sites were also more stable than on agricultural controls, as measured by the Jaccard dissimilarity index. We also used PAM-based weekly species occurrences in an occupancy-modelling framework to investigate the influence of PV development and other landscape variables on grassland bird occupancy. 10 out of 13 modelled grassland bird species had greater predicted occupancy probabilities (ψ) on PV sites than control sites. Synthesis and applications. Our findings suggest that properly sited and developed ecovoltaic solar facilities in human altered landscapes can improve habitat for birds and other wildlife, but further research is needed to understand which species may benefit most from these novel ecosystems.
To tackle climate challenges, communities need to harvest renewable energy and resources on site locally to close the loops for enhancing the resilience of communities facing unpredictable and uncertain future changes. A decentralization planning of urban renewable energy systems is proposed by treating urban waste streams and producing biomass through applying algal biotechnology. When applying algal technology as a renewable and decentralized energy source in urban systems, the overall performance can vary by levels of urban nutrients, solar and CO 2 resources, and the transportation cost when considering its application to different urban densities, urban form, and the spatial scale of urban settings. This research explores three potential impacts on the algal system’s energy performance: (1) urban density, (2) urban form in different contexts, and (3) spatial scale. The research examines the impacts by testing urban settings given in actual contexts in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Four neighborhoods representing the high-density urban, mid-density urban, mixed suburban, and typical suburban areas are investigated. The density-scale–performance relationships are explored through testing different urban forms of neighborhoods in both hypothetical and actual neighborhood settings. A GIS-based model is developed to estimate the overall energy performance of the decentralized renewable energy system in urban environments. Results show that the energy performance is positive mainly for high-density urban neighborhoods with small-to-medium scales, up to 0.36 MJ per ton of municipal solid wastes for actual settings and 0.37 MJ for hypothetical cases. Neighborhoods with higher density have higher energy performance while up scaling has negative effects on the energy performance with a low degree of significance. Optimal scales are found as a 1-km radius in real test beds and 1.3 km in hypothetical settings, in which the results show trade-offs between scaling effects in the system efficiency gain and the transportation cost increase.
The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, through their affiliated economic development entity Ho-Chunk, Inc; their affiliated non-profit Ho-Chunk Community Development Corporation; and an additional project partner Nebraska Renewable Energy Systems conducted a community scale renewable energy project on their reservation in Nebraska. Over the two-year project period, we installed PV Solar systems on ten tribally owned commercial/retail/office facilities, which included both six roof mounted and four pole mount installations. The project was undertaken as a part of the Tribe’s broader initiative to increase renewable energy production on the reservation, reduce the Tribe’s financial obligations for purchasing energy, and lessen our reliance upon outside sources of energy to meet our basic needs. The project enabled us to formalize and strengthen community collaborations and build our capacity to pursue additional renewable energy opportunities that will enhance our energy sovereignty.
This land-based wind energy siting resource was created by the U.S. Department of Energy Wind Energy Technologies Office’s WINDExchange initiative and presents foundational information about land-based utility-scale wind energy that local decision makers can use when making community decisions about wind energy development. Consolidated, accessible, and easy to understand, this information resource focuses on land-based wind energy from the community perspective and examines siting-related impacts and mitigation strategies. Other impacts and strategies exist, such as those related to economics, climate, health, water, emissions, and waste; however, they are not covered in this resource. For more information on economic considerations, see the “Land-Based Wind: Economic Development Guide” and “Advancing the Growth of the U.S. Wind Industry: Federal Incentives, Funding, and Partnership Opportunities.” The intended audience for this guide is county-level decision officials, as they are often responsible for approving both wind energy ordinances and applicable permits needed for wind energy development. This guide may also provide relevant information to decision makers from other government jurisdictions and interested community members.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) operates the Department of Energy’s (DOE) only dedicated marine laboratory at the PNNL-Sequim campus. PNNL is leading research in the blue economy and marine energy applications and building collaboration between DOE and multiple partners in the state of Washington and beyond. With Washington State support, the Integrated Renewable Energy System (IRES) demonstration testbed proposed here will advance research by developing and testing renewable energy production, management, and use for multiple marine applications (e.g., ocean observations, underwater vehicles, aquaculture). It will also advance energy resiliency for coastal communities by developing an integrated renewable energy test platform that will model how multiple renewable energy resources could power shoreline businesses or communities (Figure 1). The test bed will demonstrate how different renewable systems can be integrated to reduce carbon emissions and contribute to a net zero emissions site and provide lessons, controls, and protocols that will help to expand energy options for shoreline and maritime businesses. The integrated system is expected to serve as a test bed for shoreline power and ocean energy technologies for years to come.
The primary objective of the Accelerating Resilience of the Community through Holistic Engagement and Use of Renewables (ARCHER) initiative was to identify and incorporate the unique variations in energy burden, social vulnerability, living conditions, and access to essential services that differ across communities. By accounting for these localized factors—down to the neighborhood level—the project supports more targeted and effective investments in community resilience. The framework seeks to establish practical planning guidance, methods, and performance measures for community energy resilience, integrate community-level and electric utility system resilience planning, and assess its effectiveness through comparison with conventional and operational planning approaches. A key component of the project was its data exchange platform, which is used to evaluate and demonstrate the tools, methodologies, and planning approaches developed through ARCHER. This open-source platform enables developers and vendors of distribution and outage management systems to build upon the research by incorporating its concepts into their own tools and workflows. This capability is enabled by the transparent availability of data, functional requirements, and the underlying information model. The project yielded several important insights. First, meaningful engagement with communities is essential to achieving comprehensive resilience outcomes. Second, resilience planning is most effective when electric grid considerations and broader community needs are addressed in a coordinated manner. Third, the use of platforms that allow for real-time input from communities can enhance utility responsiveness during restoration activities. Fourth, a structured and systematic planning approach can successfully translate ARCHER concepts into practice. Fifth, the development of an integrated metric that reflects both grid performance and community impacts provides a more holistic basis for evaluating resilience. Finally, incorporating community engagement and equity considerations into grid operations is critical, particularly during severe weather events that result in extended outages.
In 2019, with the construction of the projects supported by the 2014 P5 process well underway or in an advanced stage of planning, the Division of Particle and Fields (DPF) of the American Physical Society (APS) began to prepare a new community study of U.S. high energy physics (HEP) for the decade of 2025 – 2035, and beyond. This “Snowmass 2021” HEP Community Planning Exercise began formally with a kick-off meeting at the 2020 APS April Meeting and a Community-wide Planning Meeting in October of 2020. The exercise was to conclude in July of 2021 with a workshop in Seattle hosted by the University of Washington. The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted these plans. Work was paused from January to September of 2021 to lighten the burden on our younger scientists. We resumed work by September of 2021 and, despite the continuing challenges of COVID-19, our community was well prepared for the Seattle meeting, which had been rescheduled for July 17–26, 2022.
As part of an initiative to support Multifamily Affordable Housing (MFAH) providers in their efforts to accelerate deployment of community solar, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s National Community Solar Partnership (NCSP) convened a group of MFAH providers from across the United States to understand and address barriers. DOE and project partners the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Urban Ingenuity, and Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future facilitated peer exchange, provided technical assistance, and developed resources to support the sector more broadly. During this one-hour webinar NREL, Urban Ingenuity, and SAHF introduced these resources. The webinar was attended by MFAH providers, state and local agencies, and others working to advance equitable access to solar for residents of affordable housing.
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As part of Communities LEAP (Local Energy Action Program), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) provided technical assistance to Jackson County, Illinois to help develop their clean energy transition roadmap. Fleet electrification was identified as a potential pathway that could address the environmental injustices, high energy burden, and local pollution experienced by this former coal community. NREL worked with Jackson County, Illinois to develop a resource guide that can assist fleet managers considering a transition to electric light-duty fleet vehicles. To further understand the unique challenges of fleet electrification in Jackson County, NREL met with three leaders within the county who either managed current fleets or were responsible for fleet purchases. This resource guide includes best practices and resources that address many of the frequently asked questions that arose during these discussions. Interested fleets can then use this resource guide to help identify the initial steps needed to plan for vehicle electrification. The resource guide summarizes the basics of electric vehicle (EV) adoption for fleets, funding and incentive pathways, total cost of ownership in comparison to conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, charging infrastructure, and pilot programs.
Through the Communities LEAP (Local Energy Action Program) Pilot, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) engaged the Highland Park Stakeholder Coalition to scope four technical assistance work areas to address their energy needs and goals. This slide deck addresses the highlighted tasks under work area "B" related to policy analysis, due diligence, and case studies for removing barriers and providing best practices for local clean energy development. NREL used the REopt platform to evaluate the techno-economic potential of adding solar PV, electric storage, and/or diesel generators at several locations in Highland Park, Michigan: a typical residential and commercial building in Highland Park, the Earnest T. Ford Recreation Center, and the Parker Village Microgrid. The analysis goals focused on the ability of solar PV, electric storage, and/or diesel generators to reduce electricity costs and improve site resilience.
For many Alaskan communities, access to resilient, affordable, sustainable, and clean energy resources are top among the solutions they will need to help them navigate their changing landscape. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management funded the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to conduct a feasibility study to examine the potential for renewable energy technologies in Alaska offshore waters (with a focus on waters that are under BOEM's purview, the Outer Continental Shelf). With unprecedented investments from the federal government in bolstering resiliency in rural, remote and disadvantaged communities, renewable energy development in Alaska offshore waters could very well become a reality within the next two decades.
Although research, development, and deployment of advanced energy technologies are essential for the clean energy transition, communication about these technologies is equally important to their success. Energy is part of everyday life; therefore, changes in energy systems should be accepted by communities and industries. Yet details about energy generation, transmission, and environmental impacts are complex. The combination of commonality and complexity requires communications to use visualization, localization, narrative, and understandable terminology to reach a range of stakeholders. Collaboration between technology experts and communications professionals builds integrity and accessibility of energy information that enables community-based solutions for energy.
The Kotzebue Strategic Energy Plan outlines a community-driven roadmap to reduce reliance on imported diesel, lower energy costs, and build a resilient energy future for Kotzebue, Alaska. Developed in 2024-2025 through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project (ETIPP), the plan was led by the Native Village of Kotzebue in collaboration with Kotzebue Electric Association, the City of Kotzebue, the Northwest Arctic Borough, NANA Regional Corporation, and regional partners.
This document summarizes the stakeholder feedback about barriers to community solar that the Solar Energy Technologies Office received from participants representing 30 U.S. states, territories, and Washington, DC.
Awarded a Congressionally Directed Spend (CDS) in 2023, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has successfully executed the Meadowview Neighborhood Electrification Project designed to demonstrate the efficacy of residential energy efficiency and weatherization upgrades for under-resourced communities positively impacting energy use reductions, financial metrics, and indoor air quality. Initially, the project sought to electrify and upgrade 300 homes in Sacramento’s Meadowview neighborhood. However, as interest and momentum grew, the project team proved increasingly efficient and was able to retrofit 374 homes. The project built on SMUD’s years of effort increasing energy efficiency, weatherization, and electrification for low-income residential customers—moving beyond incremental improvements toward full home electrification where it was both feasible and cost-effective.
This paper offers a pathway for developing community-centered renewable energy at scale, outlining how renewable energy landscapes can be envisioned alongside the high environmental and social equity standard that is at the heart of the future clean energy system. We call this “place-based at scale” and “renewable energy landscapes” because the ultimate aim is to adapt technology and infrastructure coherently and collectively toward community objectives, and to organize it to allow replicability and scaled approaches across the country. Realizing this type of development in practice will require reconciling the challenges and tensions that currently existing between top-down and bottom-up approaches. It will also require reckoning with greenhouse gas emission goals, large investments in infrastructure, and community self-determination as the driving priority in those investments. We believe a window of opportunity is presenting itself to shape and envision the future of renewable energy installations and move into action to create them. Six pathways that draw upon new cooperation between disciplines for designing renewable energy landscapes at scale are presented and historical perspectives are explored.