In Fall 2023, the Center for EmPowering Communities partnered with Clean Air Task Force to host a series of Science of Siting workshops. These sessions brought together experienced practitioners and researchers to explore paradigm-shifting solutions for increasing community acceptance of renewable energy infrastructure. One promising idea was a “fair share” flexible mandate—a framework in which the state sets clean energy goals for localities but offers flexibility in how those goals are met, drawing on similar approaches from affordable housing and other policy areas.

Around this same period, Dr. Sarah Mills, director of the Center for EmPowering Communities, published a policy brief—Principles for Siting Clean Energy in Michigan—which introduced the fair share framework in the Michigan context.

Building on this momentum, the Center for EmPowering Communities and Clean Air Task Force co-authored a white paper outlining a set of guiding principles for fair share energy policy, accompanied by a complementary blog post authored by CATF.

This remains an early but compelling idea, and we look forward to refining and advancing the framework in collaboration with partners.

• View/download the white paper (PDF)
• Read the CATF blog post
• View/download the Michigan policy brief (PDF)