October 1, 2024
The Energy Builders Project is tackling one of the most pressing challenges in America’s clean energy transition: overcoming resistance in rural communities where most wind and solar projects need to be built. With vast land resources, rural areas are crucial to scaling up renewable energy, yet opposition driven by cultural, economic, and political concerns often stalls progress.
Launched by Jane Fleming Kleeb (Awardee 2023) through the Climate Breakthrough Award program, this initiative offers a new model for transforming how clean energy projects are developed in rural America, potentially unlocking one of the biggest barriers to the nation’s climate goals while bridging the growing urban-rural divide.
The Challenge
Clean energy projects rely heavily on rural land, but local opposition has been growing. Studies show that transitioning to 100% clean energy could require up to 300 million acres of land—75% of America’s cropland—a scenario many rural residents find unworkable. Concerns range from aesthetic impacts and misinformation about renewable energy to broader distrust of corporations and government policies perceived as extractive. Rural communities often feel excluded from clean energy planning. Many residents see wind and solar projects as benefiting outside corporations rather than their own towns. Misinformation, fueled by fossil fuel interests, further complicates the conversation. As a result, county commissions have frequently zoned out renewable projects, hindering progress.
The Initiative
The Energy Builders Project’s approach centers on two key innovations: Community Benefit Agreements and an American Energy Dividend. Unlike traditional development models where benefits mainly flow to landowners directly involved in projects, these tools ensure broader community participation in both decision-making and economic benefits. The dividend would provide direct payments to neighbors living within sight or hearing of clean energy projects, acknowledging their stake in these developments even if their land isn’t being used.
The initiative will provide comprehensive support to rural communities, including education, training, legal assistance, and organizing resources. A significant part of the work will involve countering fossil fuel industry disinformation campaigns that aim to keep communities dependent on oil and gas, while promoting energy diversification as a path to true energy freedom.
Furthermore, the initiative aims to transform the narrative around renewable energy in rural America from one of resistance to one of opportunity and pride. They will work with local leaders to combat disinformation, promote fair zoning practices, and build unlikely alliances between farmers, ranchers, union workers, Tribal Nations, and climate advocates.
The Vision
The stakes are significant. Energy Builders Project aims to increase wind and solar’s share of the US energy grid from 14% to 33% within a decade, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Its economic model is designed to become a standard practice for renewable energy projects, ensuring long-term community buy-in and support. By creating genuine partnerships between urban energy needs and rural energy production, the project hopes to demonstrate how communities can work together to solve major national challenges while ensuring that the benefits are shared equitably at the local level.