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
Alta Farms Illinois Clinton County, DeWitt County Donation/support to local cause Non-financial Land-based wind energy project 50 200 2023
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Enel Green Power

  • Enel has sponsored education initiatives as well as COVID-19 relief projects with local partners, including The Vault Community Center, Clinton Education Association and Clinton Community Educational Foundation.

  • Enel's support of local education initiatives has been through Clinton USD #15, providing STEM resources and renewable energy education programs.

  • Enel has donated $15,225 in toys, basic necessities and cash to several local community programs.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Big Sky Illinois Bureau County, Lee County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 114 240 2011
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Edison Mission Group / Vitol

  • In 2021, Big Sky Wind donated $10,000 to Bureau County United Way, supporting a fundraising campaign.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Bishop Hill 1 & 2 Illinois Henry County Donation/support to local cause Non-financial Land-based wind energy project 183 292 2012
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Invenergy

  • In 2012, Invenergy provided a total of $500,000 to three Bishop Hill groups: the Village of Bishop Hill, Bishop Hill Arts Council and Bishop Hill Heritage Association. The organizations split the money evenly, with each getting $166,666. Funds were used to support projects such as a village welcome center, water system survey, sidewalk project, and historic building restoration.

  • In 2017, 2018, and 2019, technicians from Bishop Hill I helped construct playground equipment and a basketball hoop at an area elementary school.

  • In 2023, Brookfield Renewables donated $5,000 to the Henry County Economic Development Partnership as an economic development grant to support the county in maintaining a full time economic development director.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Bishop Hill 3 Illinois Henry County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 53 132 2018
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Invenergy

  • In 2018, when construction of Bishop Hill 3 was completed, Invenergy provided two $5,000 donations to the Clover and Andover-Osco fire departments.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Blackstone (Top Crop) I & II Illinois LaSalle County, Grundy County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 200 300 2009-2010
Developed, Owned, or Operated by EDP Renewables

  • EDP Renewables staff helped start the Dwight Farm to School program, which provides healthy food to students by teaching them how to maintain a school vegetable garden. The wind farm continues to donate $1,000 annually to keep the program going.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Camp Grove Illinois Stark County, Marshall County Fund Land-based wind energy project 100 150 2007
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Orion Renewable Energy Group

  • Stark and Marshall county high school students have received $80,000 in college scholarship funding from the wind project.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Cardinal Point Illinois McDonough County, Warren County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 60 150 2020
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Capital Power

  • Cardinal Point has supported community organizations and events, including Macomb/McDonough County Out of the Darkness Walk, Warren County Prime Beef Festival, Monmouth Police Department Shop with a Cop, Good Hope Turkey Trot, Genesis Garden, Jamieson Community Center Inc, Loaves and Fishes Etc., Colchester Labor Day Celebration, and McDonough County Police Department Buddy Program.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
EcoGrove Illinois Stephenson County Fund Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 67 100.5 2009
Developed, Owned, or Operated by ACCIONA Energy

  • When dedicating the EcoGrove project in 2009, ACCIONA Energy announced it will provide the Lena-Winslow and Warren school districts each with a $5,000 annual scholarship fund presented to high school seniors planning to pursue a secondary education leading to a career contributing to sustainability.

  • ACCIONA has donated to school districts near the EcoGrove project for purchases of new technology equipment.

  • In 2009, ACCIONA donated an estimated $6,000 worth of gravel and rock material to help the Lena Community Park District complete a parking lot at a town boat launch.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Ford Ridge / Ford County Illinois Ford County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 43 121 2022
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Apex Clean Energy / Ørsted

  • The Apex Conservation Grant Program awarded $125,000 in relation to the Ford County Wind project for the protection, restoration, and enhancement of regional grassland habitat for a variety of species, including game bird species such as the ring-necked pheasant and the bobwhite quail. Through Apex Clean Energy’s Conservation Grant Program, each renewable energy project commercialized by Apex contributes a sum of money, proportional to the size of the project, to support local or regional wildlife conservation, reforestation and flora restoration, protection of sensitive habitats such as grassland or wetlands, and other environmental conservation initiatives in or near project communities.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Grand Ridge Illinois LaSalle County Non-financial Land-based wind energy project 140 210 2008
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Invenergy

  • When a tornado impacted the area in 2017, Invenergy staff from the Grand Ridge wind farm participated in clean-up efforts in the city of Ottawa, IL.

Source

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.