Decision Support for Local Governments and Communities

NREL provides decision support, technical assistance, and resources to help U.S. local governments and local communities plan for and implement clean energy solutions.

Technical Assistance

NREL offers technical expertise to help local governments navigate the complexities of implementing or transitioning to clean energy.

Clean Cities and Communities

Energy to Communities

Energy Improvements in Rural and Remote Areas

Energy Technology Innovation Partnership Project

Solar Energy Innovation Network

Waste-to-Energy Technical Assistance

NREL previously provided technical assistance for solar power at universities and for clean energy on mine lands.

Explore all technical assistance opportunities.

Resources and Tools for Projects

NREL develops and provides resources and tools to help local governments navigate clean energy projects.

State and Local Planning for Energy Platform

This online platform supports data-driven state and local energy planning.

Community Solar

This distributed solar energy deployment model allows customers to buy or lease part of a larger, off-site shared solar photovoltaic system.

Solar Decision Support for Local Governments

NREL offers decision support and resources to local governments seeking to go solar. Explore our full list of data and tools.

Success Stories

Publications

Updated Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Rules: A Guide for Local Authorities, NREL Fact Sheet (2023)

Community Energy Planning: Best Practices and Lessons Learned in NREL's Work with Communities, NREL Technical Report (2022)

Local Power: Comparing the County-Level Renewable Energy Potential to Consumption Using the SLOPE Platform, NREL Technical Report (2022)

Distributed Solar Adoption in Orlando: A Household-Level Model for Distribution Resource Planning, NREL Presentation (2021)

State and Local Policy Impacts on the Residential Solar PV Installation Industry, NREL Technical Report (2019)

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