Community Wind: A Review of Select State and Federal Policy Incentives

“Community wind” refers to a method of wind energy development that intentionally seeks to optimize local benefits. For purposes of this report, “community wind” includes locally owned wind projects that sell or offset energy on the electric grid. For a project to be locally owned, community members must have a direct financial stake in the project beyond just land leases or local tax revenue. This report discusses laws from Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, and the federal government that impact the viability of community wind development. These states were chosen because they have laws that are specifically targeted at community wind or are states that have significant wind power development potential. (August 2006)