Part six in a multi-part series highlighting successes of Clean Energy Districts (CED) and policies to make CEDs “universal local” institutions. Read part one, part two, part three, part four, and part five.

In rural Iowa, two forces have partnered to create local energy prosperity by creating green jobs and keeping energy dollars in the local community in their own counties. Clean energy districts (CED) are grassroots organizations championed by ordinary citizens, each passionate about making homes and businesses more energy efficient, developing renewable energy, helping lower-income neighbors save money on their energy bills, and committed to climate stewardship. To do this, CEDs collaborate with community foundations, organizations that often have a geographical focus, is championed by ordinary citizens, and care about strengthening their local communities through philanthropy.  

As community foundation leaders, we applaud the energy district movement. Energy dollars saved both by families and organizations month by month help sustain and create local wealth. The movement is a companion strategy to our mission of endowment building, whereby individuals and organizations invest in the long-term future of communities they love. - MJ Smith, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque

Here’s a look at how the aligned values between CEDs and community foundations can create more resilient rural communities. 

Universal Local 

Community foundations and clean energy districts are based on a model that is, at the same time, universal (adopted nationally) and local (serving their local communities through local citizen participation). 

Community Empowerment 

Local rural communities are taking their destiny in their own hands and building a better future for themselves. Community foundations strengthen their communities by recruiting citizen boards and inviting residents to invest in endowment funds to support a wide variety of organizations and projects throughout the community, including CEDs. CEDs empower their communities by recruiting energy champions to support energy efficiency and renewable development work as well as keep energy dollars local. In both cases, leaders are developed to co-create inclusive, transparent, local solutions to energy, social, and economic problems. 

CEDs make their communities more self-reliant by building the capacity to generate much of their own power while also tapping federal, state, and private resources to help finance the work. CEDs advocate for changes in energy policies and legislation at the local, state, and national levels to create systems change and clean energy prosperity for all.

Locally Driven Economic Development: Bridging the Political Divide 

Common sense cuts across party lines. We help homeowners, farmers, and businesses tap the financial benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy systems. When those savings are recycled in the local economy everyone benefits. - Jim Martin-Schramm, Winneshiek County Energy District Board Member

Both CEDs and community foundations include people from across the political spectrum that have found common ground on efforts to strengthen local economies. While CEDs bring people together to support entrepreneurship and to create green jobs, community foundations stimulatecommunity economic development through endowment building, loan programs, and other community investments. 

Together, these organizations are advancing equity through a “green meets green” approach. 

Green meets green when a) greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to protect the planet and b) energy bills are lowered thus keeping more energy dollars in peoples’ pockets (especially low-income folks), which reduces income and wealth inequality and creates local energy prosperity when those dollars are spent locally. 

Stewardship 

Community foundations are stewards of their communities — shepherding local wealth to provide financial resources throughout their local areas in perpetuity.

Clean Energy Districts also practice stewardship by creating green jobs and lowering energy bills, thus freeing up money to circulate in the local economy. 

CEDs also improve public health by electrifying transportation and home heating, reducing energy use and expanding renewable energy sources—to reduce air pollution from burning fossil fuels that can cause asthma and lung and heart diseases.

While building local energy prosperity, clean energy districts are also committed to combatting global warming through climate stewardship by reducing carbon emissions to achieve 100% local efficient renewable energy by 2050. 

The energy district helps chart a sustainable course for clean energy across the cultural and economic landscape we call home. - Dean Thompson, Winneshiek County Supervisor.

Readers can:

  • Support clean energy districts financially
  • Encourage your community foundation to fund clean energy districts
  • Advocate for local, efficient renewable energy policies and legislation
  • Volunteer with CEDs and other local green organizations

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Original contribution by Craig Mosher, Johnson Clean Energy District (contact: craig.r.mosher@gmail.com) and MJ Smith, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque.