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This research paper by RMI analyzes energy burden—the proportion of household income spent on electricity and fuel—across all 50 US states using 2020 Energy Information Administration data. It finds that extremely low-income households face a disproportionately high energy burden, often exceeding the 10% threshold for energy poverty, and evaluates how federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and specific state-level policies can mitigate these burdens while pursuing decarbonization.

This guide by RMI explores how Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) can leverage their extensive rooftop and parking assets to drive solar development, reducing greenhouse gas emissions while increasing shareholder value. It identifies significant untapped capacity, outlines the financial and regulatory barriers to adoption, and proposes community solar as a viable solution to overcome these challenges.

This case study details the transition of the Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church in Oak Park, Illinois, toward net-zero energy through a series of phased upgrades. Starting in 2011, the church replaced an inefficient gas boiler with a geothermal heat pump system, followed by the installation of rooftop solar panels in 2014, LED lighting upgrades in 2020, and a subscription to a community solar farm in 2021.

This guide from the World Resources Institute outlines strategies for U.S. local governments to expand community solar access for low- and moderate-income (LMI) households, leveraging new federal incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act and various municipal-level interventions.

The report introduces 'community solar+', a strategic approach to designing community solar projects that maximizes local value streams and advances sustainability and equity goals beyond simple energy access.

This case study describes how the Organic Valley agricultural cooperative partnered with OneEnergy Renewables and the Upper Midwest Municipal Energy Group (UMMEG) to source 100 percent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2019. By utilizing a community solar model in the U.S. Midwest, the partnership developed 12 MW of solar for Organic Valley and an additional 17 MW for local communities, totaling approximately 29 MW of new installations.

This case study describes how the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (KCEC) in northern New Mexico established a voluntary goal to meet 100 percent of its summer peak electricity demand with solar power by 2023.

This case study describes community solar projects with on-bill financing options implemented by three utilities in the United States: Grand Valley Power Cooperative in Colorado, Cedar Falls Utilities in Iowa, and Lake Region Electric Cooperative in Minnesota.