From the Ground Up: How Community-Based Organizations Can Build an Equitable and Clean Energy Future

The guide examines how community-based organizations (CBOs) can bridge the gap between solar energy programs and low- to moderate-income (LMI) households in the United States. It identifies systemic barriers to solar adoption—such as high upfront costs, complex applications, and distrust of developers—and proposes seven strategies for CBOs to overcome these obstacles. Through case studies from Georgia, Washington, D.C., and Michigan, the document demonstrates that CBOs' local trust and cultural understanding are critical for ensuring clean energy transitions are equitable and accessible.

• Rising electricity rates in the United States are driven by inflation, aging grid infrastructure, and electricity demand from data centers, with nearly 60 utilities proposing rate hikes totaling $41.9 billion that could affect over 80 million customers.
• Energy burdens disproportionately affect low-income households, particularly Black, Latino, Indigenous, and immigrant families; one in four low-income households spends more than 15% of their income on energy.
• LMI households face four primary barriers to solar adoption: the need for prior home repairs (such as roofs and electrical), high installation costs despite incentives, complex application processes, and distrust of solar developers due to predatory practices.
• CBOs are uniquely qualified to lead LMI solar programs because they are deeply trusted, accessible, and possess a deep understanding of the local context.
• The Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL) Congregational Solar Program, active since 2018, has installed 620 kilowatts across 25 projects, offsetting 3,541 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
• Washington, D.C.’s Solar for All program, administered since 2016 and funded via the 2016 Renewable Portfolio Standard, utilized CBOs to generate community buy-in and act as connectors between administrators and subscribers.
• Michigan's Solar for All program, an EPA grant project, integrated CBOs as site hosts for community solar (such as resilience hubs) and as educators on energy efficiency and storage, although the program was formally canceled by the EPA in August 2025.

APA

World Resources Institute (2025). From the Ground Up: How Community-Based Organizations Can Build an Equitable and Clean Energy Future. https://www.wri.org/technical-perspective/community-based-organizations-clean-energy-solar-programs

Chicago

World Resources Institute. From the Ground Up: How Community-Based Organizations Can Build an Equitable and Clean Energy Future. 2025. https://www.wri.org/technical-perspective/community-based-organizations-clean-energy-solar-programs.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=From the Ground Up: How Community-Based Organizations Can Build an Equitable and Clean Energy Future |date=25 September 2025 |url=https://www.wri.org/technical-perspective/community-based-organizations-clean-energy-solar-programs |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2025from, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{From the Ground Up: How Community-Based Organizations Can Build an Equitable and Clean Energy Future}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2025}, month = sep, url = {https://www.wri.org/technical-perspective/community-based-organizations-clean-energy-solar-programs}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }