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
Jayhawk Kansas Bourbon County, Crawford County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 70 195 2021
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Apex Clean Energy

  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jayhawk Wind participated in local relief work by sponsoring the Girard Chamber of Commerce's efforts to provide meals to senior citizens and supporting the Beacon, a local food pantry that serves more than 500 local families.

  • In Crawford County, Jayhawk sponsored a program called "Pittsburg Strong" to support local businesses during the pandemic. Jayhawk wind funded the purchase of "Pittsburg Strong" t-shirts and donated them to businesses to sell.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Meridian Way I & II Kansas Cloud County Fund Payment to government outside of an agreement Land-based wind energy project 67 201 2008
Developed, Owned, or Operated by EDP Renewables

  • Meridian Way I & II created the Get In the Cloud Small Business Grant Program, which provides competitive grants and mentoring support for new and existing businesses. Entrepreneurs who successfully complete an educational component and who own or intend to start a business located in Cloud County are eligible to apply for a one-time grant of 50% of start-up costs or $50,000, whichever is less, to fund eligible expenses. The Get in the Cloud grant has been funded since 2014; in that time, $1,284,089.99 has been awarded to 53 projects, with total project input costs of over $6.7 million.

  • In 2023, Meridian Way Wind Farm gave a gift of $300,000 to Cloud County to distribute to projects in the community. The county distributed grants to a variety of recipients, including $150,000 to the Get in the Cloud Grant Program, $25,000 to the Concordia Senior Center, $22,500 to Clyde County Emergency Preparedness, $22,500 to the Cloud County Recycling Center, grants to several cities in the county, and $20,000 to the National Orphan Train Complex.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Post Rock Kansas Lincoln County, Ellsworth County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 134 201 2012
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Pattern Energy

  • Post Rock Wind has supported local organizations and causes, including a Ellsworth Volunteer Fire Department, Mounted Patrol and Rescue Squad, a daycare facility, and Wilson Czech Opera House; this includes a $4,000 donation to restore the historic opera house.

  • Post Rock Wind contributed to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism to help improve 733 acres of wetlands habitat in Cheyenne Bottoms.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Solomon Forks Kansas Thomas County Donation/support to local cause Fund Land-based wind energy project 105 276 2019
Developed, Owned, or Operated by ENGIE

  • ENGIE has made donations to Colby Unified School District No. 315.

  • The Solomon Forks project established a scholarship fund with Colby Community College. Four $2,500 scholarships are available annually for students majoring in a sustainable/renewable energy program.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Sunflower Kansas Marion County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 76 200 2023
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Ørsted

  • Ørsted is contributing over $2 million to The Conservation Fund and The Nature Conservancy to support voluntary conservation and restoration efforts on up to 3,000 acres of tallgrass prairie habitat in the Flint Hills.

  • Ørsted has supported community organizations and events, including the Marion County Fair, a teacher's luncheon for the School of Marion, the Marion County Fire Department, and a school art program.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Bingham Wind Maine Somerset County, Piscataquis County Formal agreement Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 56 185 2016
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Novatus Energy / Onward Energy / First Wind / TerraForm Power

  • The project provides community benefits packages to the towns of Bingham, Abbot, Parkman, Moscow, and Kingsbury Plantation; these total $343,000 in annual payments across the five towns.

  • The project provides $30,000 annually to the Somerset Economic Development Corporation, $10,000 annually to the Moose Alley Riders for trail maintenance, $10,000 annually to the New England Mountain Bike Association for trail repair and stormwater management, and $10,000 annually to the Valley Riders for trail and bridge maintenance.

'- First Wind provided scholarships for students in the locations of its projects while the company was still operating.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Bull Hill Maine Hancock County Formal agreement Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 19 34 2012
Developed, Owned, or Operated by First Wind / Terraform Power

  • Bull Hill Wind makes an annual community benefits payment of $200,000 to Hancock County and an annual payment of $20,000 to the town of Eastbrook.

  • Bull Hill made a one-time contribution of $25,000 to Downeast Salmon Fed to improve the salmon habitat in the Narraguagas River and makes an annual payment of $20,000 to the same organization for improving public access to waterways and water quality.

Source

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Hancock Maine Hancock County Formal agreement Non-financial Land-based wind energy project 17 51 2016
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Onward Energy / SunEdison / Blue Sky Wind

  • Through a community benefit agreement, Hancock Wind contributes $200,001 annually to Hancock County in community benefit funds. The county, in consultation with Eastern Maine Development Corporation, has distributed some of this funding to community organizations in the form of grants; some organizations that have received grants include Healthy Acadia, Friends in Action, Ellsworth Free Medical Clinic, Beth Wright Cancer Center, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, Families First Community Center, and Acadia Area ATVers. This is in addition to any tax revenues or tax agreements for the project.

  • Hancock Wind provided and built a new emergency communications tower and emergency generator, per the county's request.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Kibby Mountain I & II Maine Franklin County Formal agreement Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 44 132 2009, 2010
Developed, Owned, or Operated by TransCanada / DKRW Wind

  • TransCanada provides a community benefits package of $1,000 per megawatt annually to the town of Eustis/Stratton, totaling $132,000. This is in addition to tax revenues from the project.

  • During construction of the wind project, a power distribution line was extended; local residents who requested electric service from this extension received it at a lower cost, as TransCanada waived its right to receive reimbursement from these residents.

  • During development and construction, Kibby Wind donated $50,000 to organizations in the county and state that requested support for education, health, human services, environmental, and civic investment projects. This included sponsoring the Wilton Career Center's Kibby Boot Camp, which provides work training and renewable energy experiences for disadvantaged local students.

  • In 2009, Kibby Wind paid $15,000 to the State of Maine Bureau of Public Lands to develop a nature trail near the project.

Sources

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024
Mars Hill Maine Aroostook County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 22 42 2007
Developed, Owned, or Operated by First Wind / James W. Sewall Company

  • First Wind donated funds toward a project to supply graphing calculators for a pre-calculus classroom in Mars Hill, ME.

Source

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.