Siting of Renewable Energy Facilities

Technology innovation alone won’t allow us to achieve our CO2 emission reduction targets. Institutional reforms are needed to alter the context in which regulatory settings can be used to resolve siting disputes. This project analyzes mediators' roles in helping negotiate community benefit agreements as part of facility siting dispute resolution.

The MIT Renewable Energy Clinic (11.092/11.592) provides MIT students with an opportunity to work with communities that have been asked to consider hosting renewable energy facilities (i.e., solar, wind, geothermal, battery storage, green Hydrogen, and transmission).  Student teams work with partner communities to organize stakeholder assessments, collaborate in problem-solving sessions, community benefit agreements, community energy arrangements, and the like.