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RENEWABLE ENERGY COOPERATIVES: E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T I M P L I C A T I O N S

D O R R A I N E D U N C A N

OVERVIEW

What are RE cooperatives?

Logic model

Methodology

Findings

Economic implications

Best practices

W H A T A R E R E N E W A B L E E N E R G Y

C O - O P E R A T I V E S ?

Renewable Energy Co-ops

A democratic membership organization that facilitates

renewable energy generation where a community (local

or national) has a financial investment in a renewable

energy project, whether by complete ownership or in

partnership with others.

www.respublica.org.uk

Regional Energy Policy | Community Relations

• Reduced carbon emissions

• Energy decentralization

• Advances in energy policy

• Community Improvements

• New business development

Clean energy production

Inputs Intervention Capabilities & Actions Outputs

Long -term Impacts

Short -term Impacts

Rival explanation: Government or utility initiative

Rival explanation:

Government or utility initiative

Rival explanation: Gov/utility initiative

with community focus

Problems initiating need for RE co-ops

• Develop ownership model

• Incorporate

Cooperative • Open for

Membership • Secure PPA • Install RE

plant

• Improved citizen Knowledge

• Improved relationship with Utility

• Changes in community relations

• RE and energy Conservation

• Education • Price stability • Employment • Revenue

• Utility bill

credits

• Local community engagement

• Member economic Participation

• Local community knowledge

LOGIC MODEL

Catalog characteristics of RE co-ops.

How can these characteristics create economic development?

o A case survey Dataset consisting of RE co-ops 60 cases worldwide

o Data Collection Consortiums of shared renewable energy projects Journals/reports of energy cooperatives Journals/reports of shared energy

METHODOLOGY

Solar

Wind

Mixed- Use

Biofuels/Biomass

Hydro

Min: 35 Median: 573 Max:50,000

MEMBERSHIP OF CO-OP

Min: 35 Median:200 Max: 1375

FINDINGS

Inputs

Interventions

External conditions

Capabilities and Actions

Outputs

Short term impacts

Long term impacts

I N P U T S

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

EnvironmentalSustainability

EnergyIndependence

CommunityEmpowerment

Economicreturns/growth

Service MarginalizedCommunities

Lower costs/Stabilizeprices

Num

ber o

f Co-

ops

D R I V E R S F O R C R E A T I O N O F R E C O - O P S

[Author Analysis]

Purchase of 1 share 38%

Membership fee 25%

Subscription fees/ work equity

15%

No information 12%

Membership fee and share purchase

10%

T Y P E S O F F I N A N C I A L I N V E S T M E N T

[Author Analysis]

I N T E R V E N T I O N S

Community-led Ownership: The co-op was responsible for implementing and financing the project via wholly community-led initiatives

Joint Ownership: An energy developer was responsible for implementing the project but the co-op purchases a stake in the project

Public/Community-led Ownership: A public body was involved in the implementation/financing of the project and the co-op has part or full ownership

www.respublica.org.uk [Content Analysis]

E X T E R N A L C O N D I T I O N S

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

PPA RE portfoliostandards

Tradable REC FiT tax incentive Net metering

Num

ber o

f Co-

ops

E N E R G Y P O L I C Y

[Author Analysis]

O U T P U T

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

solar wind hydro biofuels/biomass

Num

ber o

f Co-

ops

R E N E W A B L E E N E R G Y S O U R C E S

[Author Analysis]

Max: 102MW/h Median: 855kW/h Min: 6kW/h

1 home – 1.25kW/h 800 homes- 1MW/h

https://www.eia.gov/

ELECTRICTY PRODUCTION

Max: 1.9MW/h Median: 103.5kW/h Min: 22.05kW/h

I M P A C T S

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Revenue/Dividends/Returns

Education/ Skills Training

Employment

New Energy Access

Reduced energy prices/Stability

Energy Efficiency

Discounts on other products

Number of Co-ops SHORT-TERM OUTCOMES

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Reduced Carbon Emissions

Community Improvements

New Business Development

Number of Co-ops

LONG-TERM OUTCOMES

E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T

IMPLICATIONS

Electricity price stabilization

Building resilient communities

Education and training for green industries

Growth in green energy industry

1. Identify leaks in windows, doors, walls

2. CEF staff provides training on sealing

cracks, installing window kits

3. Teams go house to house

weatherizing the homes

4. Materials free for co-op members

WEATHERIZATION PARTIES

www.census.gov/2010census/data/

COMMUNITIES

OUTPUT

B U S I N E S S D E V E L O P M E N T

BEST PRACTICES

Start-up costs

• Crowd sourcing

Community Partners

• Leveraging anchor institutions

Co-op culture

• 43% of GA population are members of an EMC

Creating Economic Development?

• Supportive policy framework

• Diverse citizen participation

THANK YOU ! DDUNCAN42@GATECH.EDU