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
Green River Illinois Lee County, Whiteside County Fund Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 74 194 2019
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Geronimo Energy / National Grid Renewables

  • The Green River Community Fund was established by Geronimo Energy with a total charitable commitment of $775,000 (over the project's lifetime). The first contribution of $38,800 was made to the fund in 2021. A board of directors made up of local residents and landowners participating in the wind project oversees the grant disbursement process.

  • In 2023, Green River Wind donated $5,000 to the Lee County Fair Association for ongoing continued improvement projects at the fairgrounds.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
GSG Wind Illinois LaSalle County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 40 80 2007
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Leeward Renewable Energy

  • Since the GSG Wind Farm was constructed, Leeward Renewable Energy has supported local organizations, including the local food bank and little league baseball teams.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
HillTopper Illinois Logan County Fund Land-based wind energy project 74 185 2018
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Enel Green Power / Swift Current Energy

  • Enel Green Power helped establish a community development in Mount Pulaski with a $250,000 up-front payment and annual payments of $110,000 throughout the project's lifetime. The Mount Pulaski Economic Development and Planning Board was established to administer community grants from the wind project. The fund has supported various initiatives, including funding for local schools and the creation of a local grocery co-op.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Lincoln Land Illinois Morgan County Donation/support to local cause Non-financial Land-based wind energy project 107 302 2021
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Apex Clean Energy

  • Apex and Illinois Electric Cooperative partnered to upgrade internet service in rural Morgan County, where Lincoln Land Wind is located. This project will improve broadband speeds for over 250 local subscribers, debunking claims that wind turbines disrupt service.

  • As part of the Apex Conservation Grant Program, Lincoln Land awarded $302,000 to Ducks Unlimited for a project that enhances regional habitat for migratory tree-roosting bats. 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.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Pilot Hill Illinois Iroquois County, Kankakee County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 103 175 2015
Developed, Owned, or Operated by EDF Renewables

  • In 2014, EDF Renewables donated $15,000 to local organizations in the area of the Pilot Hill wind project. Central Community Unit School District #4, Herscher Community Unit School District #2, and the Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley each received a $5,000 donation.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Radford's Run Illinois Macon County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 139 305.8 2017
Developed, Owned, or Operated by RWE

  • At the project's dedication in 2018, RWE announced a $50,000 donation to Decatur Memorial Hospital's Cancer Care Institute. The project was originally known as Twin Forks Wind Farm but was renamed in 2017 to honor Mike Radford, a longtime RWE employee who died from cancer.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Sapphire Sky Energy Center Illinois McClean County Donation/support to local cause Non-financial Land-based wind energy project 64 250 2023
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Invenergy

  • In 2022, Invenergy sponsored a KidWind Project teacher training for 14 teachers from the Blue Ridge Unified School District and surrounding areas in Illinois. Invenergy also donated funding for teachers to equip their classrooms with gear for their students, along with the option for a stipend for additional gear and lesson planning assistance.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Whitney Hill Illinois Logan County Fund Land-based wind energy project 24 66 2019
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Enel Green Power / Swift Current Energy

  • Enel Green Power has established a community development fund in Mount Pulaski, supporting various local initiatives. Enel made a $250,000 up-front payment and provides $115,000 annually to the fund. These funds have been used for a variety of purposes, including setting up a community-owned grocery co-op, grant programs to assist small businesses with facade improvements and roof work, and an architectural study to revitalize the downtown area.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Amazon Wind Fowler Ridge Indiana Benton County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 65 150 2015
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Pattern Energy

  • Pattern Energy partners with the Benton Community Foundation to contribute to local organizations and events, including supporting an emergency services agency, library reading program, historic movie theater, and annual Wind Festival hosted by Benton County.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Bitter Ridge Indiana Jay County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 52 146 2020
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Scout Clean Energy

  • Scout Clean Energy has supported the Jay County Civic Theater.

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.