Community Benefit Agreements

Wind Energy Community Benefits Database

This searchable database reflects community benefit agreements (CBAs), community benefit funds, donations, and other forms of benefits from land-based and offshore wind energy developments in the U.S. compiled by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) from 2022 to 2024.

If you would like to submit a CBA that is not represented in this database, please email windcommunitybenefits@nrel.gov .

For more information about how community benefits are developed and the role they play in wind energy development, please visit the Wind Energy Community Benefits Guide. Learn more about the community impacts of wind farms.

What Forms of Community Benefits Does This Database Include?

Community benefits for wind energy projects can be structured in many ways, but the following categories are the most common and are the focus of this database:
Developers and representatives of a government or community may sign an agreement stating the benefits that will be provided from a project and detailing the mechanisms and timelines for delivering benefits. Terminology may vary, depending on factors like the type of infrastructure or who the signatories are. Common names or types include community benefit agreement, host community agreement, good neighbor agreement, and tribal benefit agreement.
Developers may provide payments, donations, or other financial benefits to a local or Tribal government outside of the bounds of a formal agreement; these are often one-time payments.
Developers may establish funds that distribute funding to different causes or recipients in the community over time, often through the form of grants. Terminology and structure may vary, with common names or types including community benefit fund, community fund, or scholarship fund.
Developers may directly donate or contribute to local organizations, programs, or causes in the community (e.g., schools, fire departments, community service organizations).
291 results Download
Project Name
State
County
Form of Benefit
Additional Form
Infrastructure Type
Number of Turbines
Generating Capacity (MW)
Year Built
Chanarambie / Viking / Northern Wind Minnesota Murray County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 57 97.5 2003
Developed, Owned, or Operated by EDF Renewables / ALLETE Clean Energy / Xcel Energy

  • ALLETE Clean Energy has donated $11,000 to the Lake Wilson Volunteer Fire Department near its Viking and Chanarambie wind sites, collectively called Northern Wind, to fund the purchase of turnout gear for firefighters. This included a $5,000 donation in 2021 and two previous donations of $3,000 each.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Danielson Minnesota Meeker County Fund Land-based wind energy project 12 20 2011
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Danielson Wind Farms / Juhl Energy

  • Through a landowner-led initiative, BluEarth Renewables and local project owners established a scholarship fund that awards scholarships to graduating seniors from Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City (ACGC) Public Schools. Scholarships are intended to go to students with an interest in the renewable energy field.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Lake Benton Minnesota Lincoln County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 143 105 1998
Developed, Owned, or Operated by NextEra Energy Resources / ALLETE Clean Energy / Xcel Energy

  • Lake Benton Wind has supported local organizations and events, including the Relay for Life Walk, Elk Nation Annual Golf Tournament, Lady Elks Volleyball Team Cancer Night, Lake Benton Area Chamber’s Santa Claus Day and Visitor Guide, and Lake Benton Community Services’ Diner’s Club.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Minn-Dakota Minnesota Lincoln County (MN), Brookings County (SD) Non-financial Land-based wind energy project 64 96 2007
Developed, Owned, or Operated by PPM Energy / Iberdrola / PacifiCorp

  • In 2008, PPM Energy collaborated with South Dakota State University and engaged three classes at Elkton Public School in a hands-on project to create their own model wind turbines. The initiative included a field trip to a working turbine at the MinnDakota site, providing students with a real-world learning experience about the day-to-day activities of a wind technician.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Nobles 2 Minnesota Nobles County Fund Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 74 250 2020
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Tenaska Energy / ALLETE Clean Energy / Bright Canyon Energy

  • Nobles 2 Power Partners (comprised of Tenaska Energy and ALLETE Clean Energy) created a community fund, with a $15,000 annual contribution for 20 years ($300,000 total). The first payment into the fund took place within the project's first operational year.

  • At the start of construction, Nobles 2 Power Partners provided $30,000 in donations to first-responders and social services in Nobles County that were responding to the pandemic.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Oak Glen Minnesota Steele County Non-financial Land-based wind energy project 24 44 2011
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Municipally-owned / Minnesota Municipal Power Agency / Avant Energy

  • The Oak Glen Wind Farm provided a wind education facility to the Blooming Prairie community. The education facility includes a gazebo and signage with wind energy information.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Odell Minnesota Cottonwood County, Jackson County, Martin County, Watonwan County Fund Land-based wind energy project 100 200 2016
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Geronimo Energy

  • Geronimo Energy created the Odell Wind Farm Community Fund, which directs benefits to people in the wind farm's footprint in the counties of Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin and a portion of Watonwan, Minnesota. The Odell Wind Farm pays approximately $40,000 per year into the fund. Funds can be used for a variety of purposes; for example, in 2017, funds went toward the city of Mountain Lake's Parks Department for park upgrades, Mountain Lake Elementary Student Council for laptops, Martin County 4-H for performing arts lessons, the Jackson County Library System for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) products, Mountain Lake Fire Department for replacing turn-out gear, Windom Area Hospital for outdoor gym equipment, and more.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Prairie Rose Minnesota Rock County Fund Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 119 200 2012
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Geronimo Energy / Enel Green Power

  • The Prairie Rose Minnesota Community Fund supports projects and initiatives through grants, donations, gifts, and contributions related to the areas of environment, biodiversity, amateur athletics, arts and culture, education, health and wellness, social services, community infrastructure, and capital assets. The Community Fund grants up to 25% of its annual funding in the form of scholarships. The fund supports projects in the communities of Rose Dell, Denver, Springwater, Hardwick, and Jasper. The Community Fund is an independent 501(c)(3) private foundation primarily funded by the Prairie Rose Wind Project and governed by a Board of Directors composed of community members and landowners who live in the townships served by the Community Fund. Enel Green Power contributes $40,000 annually to the fund. Some recipients of funding have included the Jasper Fire Department, the Hardwick Fire Department, the city of Hardwick, the Hardwick Community Club, the Rock County Sheriff's Office, the Jasper Ambulance Association, the city of Jasper, the Rock County Historical Society, and American Legion.

  • In 2020, Geronimo Energy donated $5,500 to the Luverne Area Community Foundation, which went toward the foundation's Community Crisis Fund that was established to help non-profit organizations in Rock County with funding during COVID-19.

  • In 2020, Enel Green Power donated $5,000 to Luverne Public School District and $5,000 to Pipestone Area Public Schools to support remote learning technology and free meals for students during COVID-19. This funding was part of a $1.3 million donation made by Enel Green Power to 75 beneficiaries in the areas of Enel's projects in the U.S. and Canada.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Prairie Star Minnesota Mower County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 60 100.7 2007
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Horizon Wind / EDP Renewables

  • In 2020, the Prairie Star, Pioneer Prairie, and Turtle Creek wind projects teamed up with their parent company, EDP Renewables, to donate $5,000 to the Mitchell County Food Bank and $8,000 to the Channel One Food Bank. Channel One used the funds for local food shelves serving Spring Valley, LeRoy, and Grand Meadow, as well as providing general support for their efforts to assist families throughout the region.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Red Pine Minnesota Lincoln County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 100 200 2017
Developed, Owned, or Operated by EDF Renewables

  • EDF Renewables has contributed more than $20,000 to local organizations near the Red Pine wind project, including a fire department.

  • Separate from mitigation for environmental impacts from the project, EDF voluntarily committed to contributing to ongoing eagle conservation programs. This commitment included a $10,000 donation during the project permitting phase and an additional $10,000 donation after each five-year term of project operations; donations will go to a local eagle rehabilitation center and environmental nonprofits working on educating the public about eagle protection and making non-toxic fishing tackle and ammunition available.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
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What Forms of Community Benefits Are Not Included in This Database?

CBAs and related forms of community benefits may be provided alongside other agreements or economic impacts that serve different purposes, such as:

  • Land lease payments to landowners that host wind turbines.
  • Project labor agreements for construction of wind energy projects.
  • Taxes or tax agreements like payment in lieu of taxes (PILOTs).
  • Direct compensation to impacted stakeholders, such as commercial fishermen.

This database does not include these other types of wind energy benefits, as they differ from CBAs and related benefit mechanisms in several key ways; namely, the community benefits included in this database are unrelated to taxation, are intended to provide benefits to the community as a whole rather than a specific group of people, like landowners, and are separate from impact mitigation measures required by permitting agencies.