Brought to you by IREC and ICMA, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy.
About Energy Ready
Energy Ready consists of three designation programs for local governments: SolSmart, Charging Smart, and Distributed Wind Smart. Each program awards designations to communities that successfully implement criteria to reduce unintended barriers to clean energy development.
Municipalities play a critical role in shaping the adoption of energy technologies. Local governments can impact the options available to their residents, the cost of these technologies, and the timeline for implementation.
Communities that enroll in Energy Ready receive hands-on expert support, tailored to their local area, at no cost. Participating jurisdictions can choose from a variety of actions to meet designation requirements. This personalized approach ensures that each community can take a path that aligns with residents’ needs and priorities.
Whatever your local priorities—from unlocking clean energy investment and economic growth, to advancing energy independence and resilience, to ensuring energy development aligns with your community’s priorities—the Energy Ready suite of programs can help!
Frequently Asked Questions
We are not currently able to offer designation or technical assistance to new communities. We continue to explore alternative funding opportunities to continue this important work; join our mailing list to be notified of new program developments.
There are myriad benefits to pursuing a designation from one or more of the programs in the Energy Ready suite, including access to vetted best practices and hands-on support at no cost to your community. Upon achieving designation, you’ll also receive national recognition for the steps your community has taken to better manage clean energy growth.
We know that every community is unique—so each program in the Energy Ready suite offers multiple pathways to designation that can be tailored to local priorities. For example, the steps that make sense for a large city may differ from those that fit best for a rural community. Whatever your community’s priorities or challenges, you don’t need to start from scratch! Our technical assistance providers can connect you with vetted best practices and help you prioritize the most impactful and appropriate actions.
Some of the specific benefits of solar, distributed wind, and electric vehicles that motivate communities to participate in our programs include:
- economic growth, including local business opportunities in clean energy (job growth) and accessing clean energy investments
- energy independence and cost stabilization
- increased energy choice for residents and businesses
- disaster preparedness and climate resilience
- ensuring that energy development aligns with community preferences, such as making sure large-scale solar plants are sited appropriately and include long-term benefits for residents
- cleaner air and other environmental benefits
- climate change mitigation and other sustainability goals
Please note that we are not currently accepting participation from new communities.
Historically, SolSmart, Charging Smart, and Distributed Wind Smart have all been designed to support local government staff. However, as noted above, due to changes in the program’s federal funding, we are not currently able to offer designation or technical assistance to new communities.
Historically, the Energy Ready suite of programs has been available to U.S. local governments, including all fifty states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. However, as noted above, due to changes in the program’s federal funding, we are not currently able to offer designation or technical assistance to new communities.
