Fresno County's Clean Energy Revolution: Rural Communities Rising for Fairness
Fresno County, California, a leading agricultural producer and emerging solar hub, faces electricity bill disparities despite local clean energy production. The rural community, represented by Rural Communities Rising (RCR), a nonprofit, has developed the Project Acceptance Community Terms (PACT) framework to foster equitable, long-term partnerships between developers and communities, ensuring local benefits and better jobs.
RCR, deeply engaged with local residents and stakeholders, aims to accelerate responsible clean energy development in Western Fresno County. The PACT process empowers the community by electing their own board, defining priorities, and negotiating directly with developers and counties. This transparent, fair approach creates long-term community benefits, going beyond monetary compensation to include better jobs and economic opportunities.
The PACT model, not exclusive to California, can be adapted to other regions with similar conflicts and issues. RCR is already in discussions with multiple counties to embed PACT into permitting processes and potentially into legislation. By pushing for state-level policies, RCR hopes to standardize the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) process, create funding pools, and codify expectations for developers and counties. This collaborative approach brings local voices into talks with developers from the start, fostering partnerships between developers, local and state governments.
Fresno County residents, despite paying nearly $1,000 more annually in electricity bills than the state average, can now look forward to more equitable clean energy development. Through RCR's PACT framework, the community gains a stronger voice in planning and negotiating, ensuring long-term benefits and better jobs from clean energy projects.
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