The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) have launched Energy Ready, a new initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
This programme supports local governments with free technical assistance and recognises their improvements in planning, zoning, and permitting for distributed energy generation. Energy Ready builds on the success of SolSmart, which helps communities reduce barriers to solar energy access.
Energy Ready is a coordinated effort that brings together SolSmart, the new Charging Smart programme, and the forthcoming Distributed Wind Smart programme, which will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Distributed Wind Smart, funded by DOE's Wind Energy Technologies Office, will launch in the autumn of 2024. The programme will develop and share best practices in zoning, planning, inspection, community engagement, and financing for distributed wind. Distributed Wind Smart aims to designate 200 jurisdictions by the end of 2027.
