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
Armenia Mountain Pennsylvania Tioga County, Bradford County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 67 100.5 2009
Developed, Owned, or Operated by ALLETE

  • The Armenia Mountain wind farm has donated to local organizations, including the Mansfield Area Food Pantry, Troy Area Food Pantry, Troy Area Foundation, Two Scholarships, Endless Mountain Mission Center, Partners in Progress, Big Brothers and Big Sisters.

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024

Bloom Kansas Ford County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 54 178 2017
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Capital Power

  • Capital Power has supported community organizations and events, including the Kansas Food Bank Warehouse, Minneola Wellness Center, Minneola After Prom, Minneola Fire Department, and Ford County Fire & EMS.

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024

Allegheny Ridge Pennsylvania Blair County, Cambria County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 40 80 2007
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Leeward Renewable Energy

  • Leeward Renewable Energy has donated to the Blue Knob Volunteer Fire Department in Portage, PA.

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024

Amazon Wind Farm Texas Texas Scurry County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 110 253 2017
Developed, Owned, or Operated by Lincoln Clean Energy / Ørsted

  • In 2017, Amazon (the power purchaser for the energy generated by the project) donated $50,000 to the Snyder Education Foundation to provide students and teachers with STEM learning opportunities. The Snyder Independent School District used some of the funds to create a virtual lab for STEM education, while other funds will be used to support the Foundation's classroom grants and scholarships for graduating seniors.

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.

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024

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.

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024

Arbor Hill 1 & 2 Iowa Adair County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 142 310 2020
Developed, Owned, or Operated by MidAmerican Energy

  • MidAmerican Energy contributed $83,000 to the Adair County Fairgrounds, which was used to establish the MidAmerican Energy Arena, a newly renovated arena for community events like animal shows. The arena opened in 2020, with funding coming from revenues from multiple MidAmerican wind projects in the county.

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024

Arbuckle Mountain Oklahoma Carter County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 50 100 2015
Developed, Owned, or Operated by EDP Renewables

  • During construction of the wind project, EDPR donated $10,000 to the Smokey Valley Volunteer Fire Department, which had been recently constructed near the wind farm site. The donation was used to install insulation and wood for the purposes of hanging materials and other items within the station.

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024

Brady Wind I & II North Dakota Stark County, Hettinger County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 159 300 2016
Developed, Owned, or Operated by NextEra Energy Resources

  • NextEra Energy Resources has donated $20,000 total to two emergency services; the New England Ambulance Service and New England Volunteer Fire Department each received $10,000 to support their services in Hettinger and Stark counties.

Verified by WINDExchange on Aug. 1, 2024

Auwahi Wind Hawaii Maui County Donation/support to local cause Land-based wind energy project 8 21 2012
Developed, Owned, or Operated by AEP

  • In April 2020, AEP provided a $10,000 grant to the Maui Food Bank to help the organization address food insecurity and the heightened demand for assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • The project’s landowner, `Ulupalakua Ranch, provides the Auwahi Forest Restoration Project with an annual donation based on a fixed percentage of revenues generated by the Auwahi Wind Farm.

  • Auwahi Wind donated $5,000 to a fundraising concert after a wildfire on the island in 2018.

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.