Toolkit contents

Energy infrastructure and the policies around energy siting aren’t standard areas of expertise for most land trusts. The glossary defines specialized terms used throughout this toolkit.

Find out what economic, industry and policy trends are driving the development of new renewable energy generation and transmission infrastructure, battery energy storage systems, and fossil fuel transmission and distribution systems.

Land trusts are well-positioned to help energy development stakeholders integrate conservation priorities into siting policies and processes. Learn what smart, sustainable energy siting decisions look like — and learn about a few real-world examples.

The mitigation hierarchy provides a robust framework to avoid, minimize, and mitigate environmental impacts and land-use conflicts. Land trusts can apply the hierarchy’s three tiers to recommend energy infrastructure sites that will generate the greatest good.

Learn how land trusts can engage at the right times, with the right stakeholders, within their states’ respective policy frameworks to more effectively influence energy siting policies and project-specific siting decisions.

Browse this curated collection of state and local siting policies to understand how conservation and energy development goals have been integrated in various jurisdictions — and how land trusts can leverage such policies to achieve positive outcomes.

Access valuable tools and resources created by the Land Trust Alliance and other trusted conservation organizations. Resources include state-specific siting reports, mapping tools, case studies describing land trusts’ experiences with renewable energy siting and more.