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
Goldthwaite Texas Mills County Donation/support to local cause Non-financial Land-based wind energy project 83 148.6 2013
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Invenergy

  • In 2020, Goldthwaite Wind provided soap and sanitizing wipes to Goldthwaite Elementary School soap and sanitizing wipes, ensuring that nearly 300 students and staff could attend school safely.

  • In 2019, Goldthwaite Wind donated $3,500 to help purchase equipment for the Goldthwaite Elementary School playground.

  • In 2024, Goldthwaite Wind energy presented a $2,000 donation to local Little League teams near Goldthwaite. The donation from went toward new gear for the teams and field upgrades.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Grandview II (Colbeck's Corner) Texas Gray County, Carson County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 112 200 2016
Developed, Owned, or Operated by RWE

  • When dedicating the project in 2016, RWE made donations to local groups in honor of an employee, Doug Colbeck, who passed away in 2013. Donations went to the White Deer Fire Department, the Panhandle Youth Baseball – High Plains Affiliate, the Groom Summer Program, and the Amarillo Children’s Home.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Gulf Wind Texas Kenedy County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 118 271 2009
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Pattern Energy

  • Gulf Wind has sponsored organizations, programs, and events, including Kingsville Independent School District, youth sports teams, Boys and Girls Club, and the Junior Livestock Show.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Gunsight Mountain Texas Howard County Donation/support to local cause Non-financial Land-based wind energy project 67 120 2016
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Invenergy

  • Gunsight Mountain Wind has supported community organizations and causes, including: 2022 donation to the Texas Veterans Administration Hospital to provide female veterans and their children with necessary supplies; 2021 donation of $2,000 worth of school supplies for students and teachers at Big Spring Elementary School, and participation in the Salvation Army Angel Tree Program.

  • Gunsight Mountain donates annually to the Big Spring Fire Department and conducts regular drills with local fire departments and emergency responders to prepare emergencies at our project sites. In 2023, the donation was $1,500.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Helena Wind Texas Bee County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 66 268 2022
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Ørsted

  • Ørsted donated $30,300 toward a county project to build a protective structure for students at a school bus stop; this is intended to help with extreme heat and other extreme weather conditions.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Hereford Texas Deaf Smith County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 104 200 2014
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Lincoln Renewable Energy / EDF Renewables

  • At the project ribbon-cutting in 2015, as part of EDF Renewables' community engagement program, the company donated $2,500 to the Deaf Smith County Crisis Center.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
High Lonesome / High Lonesome Expansion Texas Crockett County, Upton County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 142 500 2019, 2020
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Enel Green Power / Swift Current Energy

  • Representing the High Lonesome wind plus storage project and the nearby Roadrunner solar project, Enel Green Power has supported the McCamey Wellness Center and a future downtown farmers market in McCamey, Texas. The funds from Enel helped the wellness center to acquire equipment.

'- Enel also made a $175,000 donation for COVID-19 relief in West Texas, benefiting local school districts, community hospitals, and volunteer fire departments in Rankin, McCamey, Iraan, and Ozona.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Karankawa Texas San Patricio County, Bee County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 124 307 2019
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Avangrid

  • In 2022, Karankawa Wind donated $3,000 to the South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Keechi Texas Jack County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 55 110 2015
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Enbridge / RES

  • In 2023, Keechi Wind donated to Jacksboro Community Food Pantry.

  • Keechi Wind has donated to the Faith Community Health System Charitable Foundation.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
La Chalupa Texas Cameron County Fund Land-based wind energy project 62 198.3 2021
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Cielo Wind / ACCIONA Energy

  • Cielo Wind awards the Rio Grande Valley Earth Stewardship Scholarship to students from the La Chalupa area and other regions where Cielo has wind projects.

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.