This memo provides guidance for, and examples of, incorporating labor best practices in clean energy Request for Proposals (RFPs).
Labor Considerations for Clean Energy Procurement
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.
Procurement and Pollinator Friendly Solar – Sample Ordinance and Procurement Language
This template from Fresh Energy and Fosterra can be used to incorporate agriculturally- and pollinator-friendly language into an RFP, PPA, or other contract language.
How Local Governments Can Buy Renewable Energy and Support Market Development
This webinar covers strategies local governments can consider to procure renewable energy and support renewable energy market development, including power purchase agreements (PPAs), virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs), community solar, and more. The webinar also cover how the regulatory landscape impacts the RE purchasing options available to a particular community and highlights case studies from local governments across the United States that have successfully implemented these strategies, including Arlington, VA, and Denver, CO.
Equitable Community Solar: Policy and Program Guidance for Community Solar Programs that Promote Racial and Economic Equity
This white paper provides guidance for creating community solar programs that promote racial and economic equity. It examines community solar program structure, consumer participation, compensation, and other policy areas. It is intended for city elected officials and policymakers, administrators of municipal electric utilities (i.e., munis), and local advocates building equitable third-party or muni-owned community solar programs.
Community Solar Request for Proposal (RFP) Tool
This workbook is a searchable database of community solar RFP clause examples sorted by topic. This tool is intended for use by local governments, municipal utilities or tribes who aim to:
• Solicit community solar projects through a competitive bidding process,
• Learn how to write a RFP from other local governments and municipal utilities’ RFP examples, and
• Develop their own community solar RFPs.
IMPORTANT: Please select “Enable Macros” when you open this Excel workbook.
CO-Benefits Risk Assessment (COBRA) Health Impacts Screening and Mapping Tool
A tool that estimates the health and economic benefits of clean energy policies.