Community ownership of energy systems, and of the policies and implementation pathways that shape them, grows when communities learn from one another about what’s working and what’s still needed. Our Community Ownership Learning Hub makes this exchange possible.

​

Below, you’ll find technical resources on everything from virtual power plants (VPPs) and equitable home electrification to policies that support community ownership and programs advancing this work, such as zonal decarbonization. We will also host community ownership learning opportunities, building on the work of our Learning Community Collaboratory work group on community ownership.

We invite you to explore the resources below and to help shape this space for the field. Please get in touch with suggestions for what topic areas would be valuable to your learning!

 

Resources

​

The following resources are for community ownership of energy systems and community ownership of policy design and implementation. This resource list is emerging and will be continuously updated.  

 

• The ABCs of VPPs: An Introduction to Virtual Power Plants – A report from Clean Energy States Alliance that provides an overview of what virtual power plans (VPPs) are and how they can be optimally designed.

​

• Veridian at County Farm – One of the nation’s first solar powered, battery backup, fossil fuel free communities. 

​

• Interview with John Kinch, Michigan Energy Options – Collectrify partner Jeff Jones with Hope Village Revitalization interviews John Kinch with Michigan Energy Options about the work of building the East Lansing Community Solar Park, which now benefits 150 participants, including residents, commercial businesses, churches, and nonprofits. 

​​

• Interview with Marc Morrison, Rural Renewable Energy Alliance – Collectrify partner Amani Sawari with Want Green Too interviews Marc Morrison with Rural Renewable Energy Alliance about how the organization works to create greater accessibility to community solar, including through partnerships with tribal nations in Minnesota.​​​​​

​​

• California Zonal Decarbonization Program – The California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC)  hub page for implementing SB 1221, a 2024 law creating a voluntary pilot program in which gas utilities can replace aging gas infrastructure in designated priority neighborhood zones with cost-effective zero-emission alternatives such as electric appliances. Physicians for Social Responsibility - Los Angeles and members of the Building Energy Equity and Power (BEEP) coalition have weighed in the CPUC to ensure pilot programs like 1221 Zonal Building Decarbonization are designed to reach environmental justice and low income communities. In addition to shaping the program, BEEP members and PSR-LA are also engaging communities to develop community readiness and to ultimately develop project proposals rooted in community. 

​​

• California Equitable Building Decarbonization Program – The California Energy Commission’s page for the Equitable Building Decarbonization Program (EBD), which aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions from homes and advance energy equity through no-cost decarbonization retrofits for low- and moderate-income and tribal households, plus a statewide incentive program that lowers loan costs for home energy upgrades.  To learn more about the history of the EBD program and how it was created visit BEEPs webpage. 

 

Learning Opportunities​

​​

• Virtual Power Plants and Opportunities for Frontline Communities – A Collectrify webinar hosted on October 1, 2026 exploring what VPPs are, why they have suddenly become so popular, and how they can be leveraged to benefit communities.

​​

• Stay tuned for registration details for our December 2026 Community Ownership Learning Event!