Wind Financing Resource Includes New Financing Opportunities
Environmental Law and Policy Center's newly updated Community Wind Financing handbook, a free resource for communities looking to invest in homegrown energy, is now available.
The handbook reflects new financing opportunities available from federal energy and economic stimulus legislation, the new Farm Bill, and state incentives.
Since ELPC published the first edition of the handbook in 2004, wind power has become the United States' fastest-growing source of electricity. Community wind projects, which represent a small but growing share of the wind market, are largely owned by farmers and other local investors with a significant economic stake in the project. Such local ownership generates economic and social benefits for rural areas.
The updated handbook provides the latest information on financing community wind projects, including ownership structures, roles of financial intermediaries, sources of federal and state financial support and consultant/developer directories. Although building these projects has become somewhat easier over time, understanding and accessing financing opportunities remains perhaps the most important requirement for a successful project.