BEYOND THE WIRES: Lessons from Transmission Lines Built with Community Benefits

The report examines community benefits frameworks (CBFs) across six completed U.S. transmission projects, finding that early, meaningful engagement and tailored benefits—such as infrastructure upgrades, land conservation, and co-ownership—are essential for reducing opposition and avoiding costly delays. It highlights that while financial compensation is common, non-monetary benefits and innovative financing models, including Tribal co-ownership and nonprofit partnerships, provide more sustainable value. The analysis warns that delayed engagement or narrow benefit distribution can lead to litigation and community friction, emphasizing the need for regulatory flexibility and the use of trusted local messengers to build trust.

• Early and meaningful community engagement is critical for project success; developers who consult communities before finalizing routes can avoid costly litigation and delays. For example, the Mona to Oquirrh project faced opposition and delays because its route was selected before engagement and crossed a protected viewshed.
• Effective community benefits extend beyond direct cash payments to include diverse options such as infrastructure improvements, land conservation, and technical assistance. In Barnstable, Massachusetts, Vineyard Wind coordinated cable routing with planned sewer upgrades, saving an estimated $3 million.
• Innovative ownership and financing models can align developer and community interests. The West of Devers Upgrade Project utilized a co-ownership model with the Morongo Band of Mission Indians to advance Tribal sovereignty, while the Sunrise Powerlink and Sycamore-Peñasquitos projects used a nonprofit partnership to reinvest profits into clean energy programs.

APA

Kurland, A., Pavia, N., Manitius, N., & Landau, K. (2025). BEYOND THE WIRES: Lessons from Transmission Lines Built with Community Benefits. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/07155050/final-EDF-CATF_WrapAround-Report.pdf

Chicago

Kurland, Adam, Nicole Pavia, Natalie Manitius, and Kelsey Landau. BEYOND THE WIRES: Lessons from Transmission Lines Built with Community Benefits. Clean Air Task Force, 2025. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/07155050/final-EDF-CATF_WrapAround-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kurland |first1=Adam |last2=Pavia |first2=Nicole |last3=Manitius |first3=Natalie |last4=Landau |first4=Kelsey |title=BEYOND THE WIRES: Lessons from Transmission Lines Built with Community Benefits |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=November 2025 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/07155050/final-EDF-CATF_WrapAround-Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kurland2025beyond, author = {Kurland, Adam and Pavia, Nicole and Manitius, Natalie and Landau, Kelsey}, title = {{BEYOND THE WIRES: Lessons from Transmission Lines Built with Community Benefits}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/07155050/final-EDF-CATF_WrapAround-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }