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
Cedar Creek Colorado Weld County Donation/support to local cause Non-financial Land-based wind energy project 274 301 2007
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Leeward Renewable Energy

  • Leeward Renewable Energy has supported the annual Earl Anderson Memorial PRCA Rodeo on behalf of its three wind projects in Weld County - Cedar Creek, Mountain Breeze, and Panorama Wind. This includes a donation and volunteering at the event.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Mountain Breeze Colorado Weld County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 62 171 2020
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Leeward Renewable Energy

  • Leeward Renewable Energy has supported the annual Earl Anderson Memorial PRCA Rodeo on behalf of its three wind projects in Weld County - Cedar Creek, Mountain Breeze, and Panorama Wind. This includes a donation and volunteering at the event.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Niyol Colorado Logan County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 74 206 2021
Developed, Owned, or Operated by NextEra Energy Resources

  • NextEra Energy Resources has supported community organizations and events, including donation of Christmas food baskets for farming families in need, Colorado Young Farmers Foundation, Sterling Community Gala, Sterling Community Foundation, donatios for support during severe weather, Washington County Connections, Logan County 4H Club County Fair Livestock Auction, High Plains 4H Club, sponsoring the Building Splash Pad for the Town of Fleming, Fleming School Wildcat Booster Club's Post Prom event, and the Northeastern Junior College's Solar Living Lab.

  • NextEra contributed $80,000 to the Fleming Fire Department to upgrade the department’s equipment.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Panorama Colorado Weld County Donation/support to local cause Non-financial Land-based wind energy project 66 145 2022
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Leeward Renewable Energy

  • Leeward Renewable Energy has supported the annual Earl Anderson Memorial PRCA Rodeo on behalf of its three wind projects in Weld County - Cedar Creek, Mountain Breeze, and Panorama Wind. This includes a donation and volunteering at the event.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Spring Canyon Colorado Logan County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 40 60 2006
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Invenergy / NRG Energy

  • In 2022, Spring Canyon donated to Plateau School’s Bulldog Benchwarmers, an organization that benefits students, teachers, and staff at Peetz’s local pre-K to 12 school. The organization is run by parents, teachers, and community members to support events such as school spirit nights and field trips.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
State Pier Connecticut New London Formal agreement Offshore wind energy port N/A N/A 2023
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Ørsted / Eversource / Connecticut Port Authority

  • Through a host community agreement with North East Offshore, the city of New London will receive $7.5 million over 10 years, with potential increases or decreases in this amount depending on how the port is used. The agreement includes a $750,000 annual payment for 10 years, with potential increases of $250,000 to $1 million in later years depending on use of State Pier. Payments can also increase up to $1.5 million annually based on state wind energy procurements. However, payments can also decrease to $250,000 annually if State Pier is subleased. State Pier is a state-owned tax exempt property in the city of New London.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Auwahi Wind Hawaii Maui County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 8 21 2012
Developed, Owned, or Operated by AEP

  • In April 2020, AEP provided a $10,000 grant to the Maui Food Bank to help the organization address food insecurity and the heightened demand for assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • The project’s landowner, `Ulupalakua Ranch, provides the Auwahi Forest Restoration Project with an annual donation based on a fixed percentage of revenues generated by the Auwahi Wind Farm.

  • Auwahi Wind donated $5,000 to a fundraising concert after a wildfire on the island in 2018.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Kaheawa 1 Hawaii Maui County Fund Land-based wind energy project 20 30 2006
Developed, Owned, or Operated by First Wind / Terraform Power

  • Kaheawa Wind 1 has committed to $10,000 per megawatt per year in community benefit funding, totaling $300,000 annually. Kaheawa Wind 1 will conduct public consultation and outreach in order to collaborate with the community on design of a new community benefits program, which will be carried out with local nonprofit partners. The community benefits program will begin in 2027. The wind project's commitments come after Hawaiian Electric (utility purchasing power from the wind project) established a $3,000/MW/year minimum spending recommendation for community benefits.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Kawailoa Wind Hawaii Honolulu County Fund Land-based wind energy project 30 69 2012
Developed, Owned, or Operated by First Wind / Terraform Power

  • Kawailowa Wind has a scholarship fund established with the Hawaii Community Foundation, which provides annual scholarships to students graduating from Waialua High School; preference is given to applicants planning to study math, science, engineering, or other renewable energy/sustainability-related studies.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Nā Pua Makani Hawaii Honolulu County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 8 24 2020
Developed, Owned, or Operated by AES

  • AES made a one-time contribution of $2.5 million, plus up to $1.5 million in additional matching funds towards long-standing community needs, based on community input; this included up to a total of $210,000 for North Shore schools and nonprofits ahead of the project’s commercial operation. Community initiatives receiving funds included: COVID-19 relief, education, sports, and culture and the arts.

  • AES committed to an $80,000 annual contribution to the North Shore Hometown Opportunities, Inc., and a $20,000 annual contribution to the Lā‘ie Community Association for the term of the project, understanding that these organizations will use these funds to address community needs and improve quality of life for the residents, including supporting the elementary and high schools.

  • In 2019, Turtle Bay Foundation and AES Hawai'i partnered together to donate $40,000 for the installation of air conditioners in 23 portable classrooms at Kahuku High School.

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.