A FAIR SHARE FOR CLEAN ENERGY

The report argues for a 'fair share' approach to renewable energy siting to replace traditional state-level preemption, which often burdens rural communities. It outlines core principles—such as allowing communities to opt out after meeting a state-assigned target and ensuring all regions contribute—and analyzes how similar mandates in affordable housing (e.g., in Massachusetts and New Jersey) have increased supply despite local resistance. The authors identify key differences between energy and housing, such as the larger physical footprint and specific resource potential of energy projects, and provide a roadmap for policy design and implementation.

• A 'fair share' energy policy is based on the principle that communities must contribute to state clean energy goals but can decline further development once their specific allocation is met.
• The proposed framework emphasizes that the obligation to sustain the electricity grid should apply to all regions of a state, including urban areas, rather than relying solely on rural regions with high renewable potential.
• Analysis of affordable housing fair share policies in the US shows that while these mandates rarely result in all communities meeting their goals, they successfully increase the overall stock of affordable housing, particularly in communities that previously had none.
• Clean energy siting differs from affordable housing due to the necessity of specific resource potential, the significantly larger physical footprint of projects, and the lack of a natural market saturation point in high-potential areas.
• Existing attempts to implement fair share elements in energy siting have seen mixed results: Maryland's H.B. 1407 failed due to concerns over usurping local control, while New Jersey has implemented cumulative acreage limits for solar on agricultural land.
• Michigan's Public Act 223 of 2023 represents a novel approach by allowing the state to assess the 'percentage of land within the local unit of government dedicated to energy generation' as part of its siting process.

APA

Mills, S., Manitius, N., Cheng, L., Allan, M., & Haddad, A. (n.d.). A FAIR SHARE FOR CLEAN ENERGY. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/18114515/A-Fair-Share-for-Clean-Energy.pdf

Chicago

Mills, Sarah, Natalie Manitius, Lanzhao Cheng, Maggie Allan, and Alex Haddad. A FAIR SHARE FOR CLEAN ENERGY. Clean Air Task Force, n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/18114515/A-Fair-Share-for-Clean-Energy.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mills |first1=Sarah |last2=Manitius |first2=Natalie |last3=Cheng |first3=Lanzhao |last4=Allan |first4=Maggie |last5=Haddad |first5=Alex |title=A FAIR SHARE FOR CLEAN ENERGY |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/18114515/A-Fair-Share-for-Clean-Energy.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{millsndfair, author = {Mills, Sarah and Manitius, Natalie and Cheng, Lanzhao and Allan, Maggie and Haddad, Alex}, title = {{A FAIR SHARE FOR CLEAN ENERGY}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/18114515/A-Fair-Share-for-Clean-Energy.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }