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August 2024
Perspective Pivot: Mapping a Landscape of Voices in Oahu Changes Energy Planning
At NREL, researchers often serve as guides who help communities navigate the world of renewable energy solutions.
June 2024
Bridging the Solar Energy Gap Through Federal Assistance Programs
The number of residential solar photovoltaics installations continues to increase across the United States. But that increase is slower for low-income households, who made up 23% of solar adopters as of 2022.
Electric Vehicles Grow in the Desert: Peer Learning Helps Sedona Plan for Charging Infrastructure
Seeking ways to build EV charging capacity, Sedona, Arizona participated in a peer-learning cohort through the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) program focused on planning and funding strategies for EV charging infrastructure deployment.
Safe and Fast Permitting Using NREL's SolarAPP+ Continued To Grow Throughout 2023
The SolarAPP+ automated online permitting platform instantly issues a permit for residential solar PV or PV-plus-storage systems if they pass an automated code compliance check, saving valuable time for local governments and solar contractors. In 2023, the platform continued to grow nationwide.
May 2024
Resilience at the Edge: City of Eastport Considers Harnessing Tidal Power for Island Microgrid
The 1,300 people who call Eastport, Maine, home live in the easternmost point in the continental United States. The bridged island, connected to the mainland by a single causeway, faces powerful Atlantic Ocean winds and is susceptible to disruptive power outages. But it was not always that way.
April 2024
Two Communities Find Electric Vehicle Options That Meet Local Goals Through Clean Energy to Communities
When the Board of Commissioners for Washtenaw County, Michigan, approved a climate action plan in 2022, the county was uncertain what implementation steps it needed to take—and how to pay for all of it.
Local Priorities Drive Energy Transitions in Remote, Coastal, and Island Communities
Remote, coastal, and island communities across the country face similar energy resilience challenges—from high energy costs and aging infrastructure to outages from extreme weather events and climate change impacts—but each community's values and priorities create a unique path toward energy resilience.
March 2024
Peer Learning Helps San Diego Center Community Voices in Clean Energy Plans
The San Diego Association of Governments has ambitious plans to make local progress toward California's goal of carbon neutrality by 2045.
Communities in Hawaii and Alaska Exchange Ideas To Engage Residents in Energy Transitions
When the third cohort of Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project communities was announced in 2023, the inclusion of Molokai, Hawaii, caught the eye of Bri Gabel, a sustainability coordinator for the City and Borough of Sitka, Alaska.
February 2024
SLOPE Illustrates Opportunities in Philadelphia's Carbon Neutrality Quest
The city of Philadelphia has pledged carbon neutrality by 2050, and the State and Local Planning for Energy (SLOPE) Platform is illustrating opportunities to reach that goal.
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Last Updated May 5, 2025