Community Renewables Task Force
The California Alliance for Community Energy is a statewide network of activists, advocates, and grassroots organizations committed to supporting and defending locally controlled, community-determined renewable energy programs. Our task forces serve our shared mission to advance local clean energy for the environmental, economic, and social justice benefits of California’s communities.
Breaking Down Barriers to Community-Based Renewable Energy
The Community Renewables Task Force works to clear regulatory hurdles standing between California communities and locally-owned renewable energy.
Community Renewables Task Force Activities
- Identifies the legal, legislative, and regulatory challenges blocking the expansion of community-based renewable energy
- Finds ways to advance community renewables, even within the constraints of current state regulations
- Helps get pilot projects off the ground, from early identification through practical implementation
- Expands real-world alternatives that strengthen local energy resilience and independence
Why This Work Matters
California’s energy transition is moving too slowly, and monopoly utilities are actively blocking communities from generating their own power. The Community Renewables Task Force exists to break through those roadblocks. If you are tired of talking about clean energy and want to help communities actually build local solar, microgrids, and battery storage, this is where you belong. We focus on turning decentralized energy concepts into physical, community-owned realities.
Task Force Participation
Task Forces are open to any member ready to engage more deeply in shaping and implementing our work. You do not need to be a grid engineer to get involved (though we certainly need those, too). You only need to be interested, committed, and ready to collaborate.
Building community power requires a diverse ecosystem of skills. The Community Renewables Task Force is looking for:
Technical & Financial Experts
Engineers, developers, and finance professionals who can evaluate project viability and funding mechanisms.
Local Advocates & Organizers
People who know their neighborhoods, understand local needs, and can build community consensus around energy projects.
Navigators & Problem Solvers
Policy nerds, legal minds, and strategic thinkers who enjoy untangling complex bureaucratic processes.
What You Could Do on This Task Force
This is a hands-on, action-oriented group. Depending on current initiatives (like our Advisory Network), you might:
- Review early-stage community project proposals to identify regulatory or financial barriers.
- Help match local energy projects with technical, legal, or financial experts.
- Draft practical toolkits and “how-to” guides for neighborhoods trying to navigate utility interconnection rules.
- Analyze emerging legislation to see how it helps or harms local energy development.
Task Force Project
Community Renewables Task Force Advisory Network
The Advisory Network for the Community Renewables Task Force supports efforts to expand distributed energy resources (DER) and community renewable projects in California.
View Project →How to Get Involved
Contribution levels are flexible. You can join our regular strategy meetings to stay informed, volunteer a few hours a month to advise on a specific local project, or dive deep into drafting regulatory roadmaps. Your participation directly accelerates the deployment of clean, resilient energy in neighborhoods that have historically been left behind.