This RFP from the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission solicits proposals for community solar photovoltaic (PV) projects that provide direct benefits to low- and moderate-income (LMI) residential customers. The solicitation outlines grant eligibility requirements, project design considerations, financing structures, participant benefit calculations, and proposal evaluation criteria. Communities, utilities, housing providers, and state agencies can use this document as a reference for developing community solar programs that prioritize energy affordability, equitable access, and benefits for low-income households.
GRID Alternatives/ Denver Housing Authority- 2MW DC Solar Garden RFP
Request for proposals for equipment, engineering, and installation services for a 2 MW DC Community Solar Garden project owned by the Denver Housing Authority. Includes project scope, submission requirements, evaluation criteria, pricing, and partnership requirements.
Request for Information: From Prospective Project Managers in the Oregon Community Solar Program Regarding City of Portland as a Major Subscriber
This RFI provides an example of how a local government can evaluate community solar opportunities and participate as a major subscriber. The document outlines project objectives, utility and interconnection considerations, equity and low-income participation goals, and procurement strategies that can inform future community solar solicitations and partnerships.
How Local Governments Can Advance Community Solar for Low- and Moderate-Income Households
This article outlines how local governments can expand access to community solar for low- and moderate-income households. It highlights strategies such as serving as anchor subscribers, providing public land for projects, partnering with community organizations, and designing programs that reduce financial barriers and increase participation in clean energy.
Catalyzing Local Clean Energy: A Roadmap for Maximizing Inflation Reduction Act Opportunities and Community Benefits
This resource serves as a guidebook for local governments looking to maximize the clean energy incentives and opportunities provided by the Inflation Reduction Act.
The (Blue) Sky’s the Limit: Explore New Opportunities for State-Led Energy Leadership
This webinar convened U.S. state practitioners for a learning opportunity focused on how the State Energy Program (SEP) grant program, as re-authorized through the IIJA, creates an innovative landscape for states to fund ambitious climate projects over the next four years and address climate equity issues. The discussion drew on existing innovation, highlighting examples in which states have ambitiously used SEP funds on decarbonization and climate equity programs.
Community Solar+: How the Next Generation of Community Solar Can Unlock New Value Streams and Help Communities Pursue Holistic Decarbonization
RMI’s report introduces a vision for the next generation of community solar. Community Solar+ is a whole-systems approach to deliberately plan and deploy community solar projects to embrace added value streams, capture greater economies of scale, and advance additional community-wide sustainability and equity goals. Community Solar+ is a way to do more with less by designing projects to also help build out electric vehicle charging infrastructure, align the grid for an electrified future, mitigate urban heat island effects, and more. The report is targeted at state and local governments, utilities, developers, and community members.
Selected Examples of Leading Equitable Clean Energy Initiatives
This spreadsheet highlights case studies of equitable clean energy initiatives from leading cities and states across the United States. For each initiative, this resource provides a brief summary, an overview of key characteristics, and a description of how it addressed procedural, structural, distributional, or transgenerational equity.
This is a companion resource to the publication “Integrating Equity into City Clean Energy Initiatives: Considerations and Resources for Local Governments.” Download that report from the Tools & Resources library.
Integrating Equity into City Clean Energy Initiatives: Considerations and Resources for U.S. Local Governments
This report offers an approach and considerations for integrating equity into city clean energy initiatives. It provides an overview of developing equitable clean energy initiatives, relevant definitions, and example goals, targets,
and indicators that can be used for consistent and comprehensive planning and implementation. The report explores seven common types of clean energy initiatives pursued or supported by city governments, with high-level observations based on equity-focused case study reviews. The report also includes additional equity-focused resources from experts nationwide.
A companion piece to this report—”Selected Examples of Leading Equitable Clean Energy Initiatives”—presents case studies from leading cities and states. Download it from the Tools & Resources library.
The Future of Landfills is Bright
This report examines the enormous potential for cities, counties, and states to scale up landfill solar to advance clean energy generation throughout the United States. The report outlines the multiple co-benefits of landfill solar and provides guidance on policies and best practices state and local governments can use to accelerate adoption.