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
Palmas Altas Texas Cameron County Donation/support to local cause Payment to government outside of an agreement Land-based wind energy project 46 145 2019
Developed, Owned, or Operated by ACCIONA Energy

  • In 2020, ACCIONA donated more than $40,000 to Los Fresnos Consolidated Independent School District to enhance science education at the district’s nine elementary schools. The donations were funded by the operations of the San Roman and Palmas Altas wind farms, which are located within the boundaries of the school district. Rio Hondo Independent School District has also received donations from ACCIONA. Rio Hondo Independent School District has also received donations from ACCIONA.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Panhandle Texas Carson County Fund Land-based wind energy project 197 400 2014
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Pattern Energy

  • The Panhandle Wind Community Benefits Program was created at the Amarillo Area Foundation (AAF) to support educational and civic initiatives in Carson County. AAF oversees an annual grant process for the Panhandle Wind Education Fund and Civic Fund, guided by an advisory committee of Carson County residents. Pattern Energy initially contributed $1,500,000 to establish the Panhandle Wind Education Fund Endowment and the Panhandle Wind Civic Fund Endowment. The facility will also provide an additional $150,000 annually for the first ten years of operation, ensuring a continuous funding source for valuable local causes both now and in the future.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Penascal Texas Kenedy County Non-financial Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 168 404 2009
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Iberdrola / Avangrid

  • Iberdrola has partnered with Sarita Elementary School, including supporting the school's development of a science lab and providing miniature wind turbines for fifth-grade students to work on. Iberdrola also sponsored a similar wind turbine project for fathers and teens involved in the community organization FACE (Fathers Active in Communities & Education) in Alice, TX, which aims to expose participants to careers in green energy.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Peyton Creek Texas Matagorda County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 48 151 2020
Developed, Owned, or Operated by RWE

  • In 2022, Peyton Creek Wind Farm hosted a back-to-school drive, providing backpacks filled with school supplies, serving pizza, and offering a bounce house for kids. A total of 70 backpacks were prepared for elementary and middle school students.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Priddy Texas Mills County Other Land-based wind energy project 63 300 2022
Developed, Owned, or Operated by ENGIE

  • ENGIE has allocated $25,000 per year to support community needs for the lifetime of the project.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Ranchland Texas Callahan County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 63 263 2021
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Enel Green Power

  • As part of its $1.3 million commitment in response to the COVID-19 pandemic across the U.S. and Canada, Enel Green Power supported Eastland Memorial Hospital - Cisco, Eastland and Cross Plains schools, food pantries, and emergency responders in the area of the Ranchland wind project.

  • Enel sponsors STEM programs at Baird Independent School District, including the KidWind curriculum.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Rio Bravo Texas Starr County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 66 237.6 2019
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Longroad Energy / Sammons Renewable Energy

  • Longroad Energy has made a $3,600 donation to the Roma Volunteer Fire Department.

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Route 66 Texas Armstrong County, Carson County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 75 150 2015
Developed, Owned, or Operated by First Wind / Onward Energy / Novatus Energy

  • In 2019, Novatus Energy announced it was making $5,000 in scholarships available to the Panhandle High School's graduating class of 2020.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Sage Draw Texas Lynn County, Garza County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 120 338.4 2020
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Lincoln Clean Energy / Ørsted

  • In 2020, Ørsted made a donation of $92,000 on behalf of the Sage Draw Wind Farm to support emergency relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ørsted initially donated $12,000 from project scrap metal sale proceeds and added $80,000 to support the South Plains Food Bank. The donation allowed the South Plains Food Bank to provide 276,000 meals for many families.

  • Ørsted has donated to C.A.S.A., a child advocacy group in Texas.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
San Roman Texas Cameron County Fund Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 31 93 2016
Developed, Owned, or Operated by ACCIONA Energy

  • In 2020, ACCIONA Energy donated more than $40,000 to Los Fresnos Consolidated Independent School District to enhance science education at the district’s nine elementary schools. The donations were funded by the operations of the San Roman and Palmas Altas wind farms, which are located within the boundaries of the school district. Rio Hondo Independent School District has also received donations from ACCIONA.

  • When the project was built, ACCIONA established the San Roman Wind Farm Scholarship Fund to provide scholarships to students from the Port Isabel and Los Fresnos School districts throughout the life of the project.

  • The San Roman wind farm sponsored the 2016 Cameron County Fair and Livestock Show.

  • In 2016, the San Roman Wind Project donated 150 pairs of new safety glasses to the Cameron County Veteran Services Office in Brownsville.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Display results

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.