Support an Initiative for the White House Administration: National Community Wind Partnership

This call to action is to support an initiative encouraging the White House Administration to create a National Community Wind Partnership that fits with other Administration initiatives and the urgency of climate change. Whether a small town, mid-size regional center or a large city there are ways to increase access to wind energy for all.

Community Wind and Community Shared Wind are nascent wind development models based on Main Street rather than Wall Street. This partnership will help grow more local wind projects. Wind is central in meeting our climate challenges.

What is Community Wind?
Community wind projects have elements of local ownership, investment, and involvement all at a local level. There are any size and quantity of wind turbines. Community wind projects are owned by rural electric cooperatives, municipal utilities, schools, hospitals, businesses, farms, and tribal communities.

What are the advantages of Community Wind?
• Provide greater economic benefits than absentee-owned wind projects
• Offer increased local control
• Rural communities are primarily located for community wind (and community shared wind)
• Help stabilize energy prices for local communities
• Receive high levels of local support for the development
• Are a local clean energy solution that addresses the global issue of cleaning up our energy system
• Use minimal amounts of water in production of energy

Source Document: US Dept of Energy – Wind and Water Program
DOE/GO-102012-3785 • November 2012

What is Community Shared Renewable Energy
(or Community Shared Wind Energy)?
Utility customers can subscribe to a community shared renewable project for any portion of their electricity and it shows up as a credit on their utility bill.

What are the benefits of community shared renewables for a home, business, or individual?
• Urban areas do not usually have on site wind-appropriate land availability for a wind project
• Maintenance is taken care of by the wind operations professionals
• Renewable energy technologies are capital intensive upfront and costs are more easily covered over time
• Community shared renewable energies allow for greater choice for the source of your energy.

For further reading:
US Dept. of Energy, Green Power Network
http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/community_development/

Various business models exist for community shared renewable energy, including utility-sponsored, on-bill crediting, special purpose entity, and the “community shared gardens”. Windustry and the Distributed Wind Energy Association are working to grow the adoption of these models for community shared wind energy.