These resources are designed for individuals who want to facilitate community engagement sessions about siting large-scale solar projects with local communities to help them prepare for developers that might arrive in their area. Originally developed for University Extension educators and land-use planners, these guides can be utilized by other trained facilitators as well that are involved in community engagement efforts.
Supporting Community-Centered Solar Development: A Guide to Hosting Community Conversations About Large-Scale Solar Development
This guide is designed to assist community leaders, planners, Extension educators, and other facilitators to conduct thoughtful, proactive discussions about large-scale solar development with communities before or early in the siting process. It outlines a process for structuring community conversations that ensures all community members feel welcome to share their perspectives and questions respectfully. The purpose is to foster understanding, address concerns and priorities, and choose next steps to prepare for a project.
Developed from community-based research by UW-Madison Extension and 4 other state Extension programs, the guide was part of the Community-Centered Solar Development project.
Community Centered Solar Development Engagement Project: Portage County, WI Report
This report describes the community engagement process used to involve community and local government voices in the siting and development of large-scale solar projects in rural Wisconsin, so that potential future projects can better reflect community values & priorities. It summarizes the perspective of community members in Portage County and the issues and concerns important to them. Further, it provides a variety of opportunities and mechanisms community stakeholders can use with solar developers and the Public Service Commission to help shape a project.