Renewable energy development in the United States is accelerating, with more than $90 billion invested in recent years and thousands of solar, wind and battery storage projects advancing nationwide. At the same time, local resistance is rising and, in many places, becoming more structured and more difficult to overcome. A recent analysis found that nearly a quarter of U.S. counties have implemented measures that make it harder to build new utility-scale renewable energy projects, reinforcing a reality developers know well: projects are approved or denied at the local level.
For years, successful siting strategies have relied heavily on education, but across markets, that approach is no longer enough. Renewable energy siting has entered a new phase, one defined less by education and more by negotiation.In practice, this shift often includes discussions around community benefit agreements, project design adjustments, local investment commitments and other tangible outcomes that reflect community priorities.
In many communities, stakeholders are no longer starting from scratch. They have seen developers propose, debate and build, and they are entering conversations with clearer expectations and stronger points of view. The questions have shifted from what a project is to what it will deliver, how it will be shaped and what it means for the community. As a result, engagement is becoming more complex, with stakeholders who are more informed, more organized and more active earlier in the process.
Across the country, expectations are increasingly shaped by neighboring communities. Local officials are watching how nearby towns respond to renewable energy development and using those frameworks to guide their own decisions. This has created a ripple effect, as local governments replicate ordinances and, in some cases, become more restrictive with each iteration. This type of regional learning accelerates the shift toward negotiation, as communities come to the table with established expectations rather than open-ended questions.
At the same time, not every community is at the same stage. Some still require foundational education, particularly in areas where renewable energy development is new. Others move quickly past that phase, entering discussions with a clear sense of priorities and leverage. In many cases, early signals, such as, existing local ordinances, prior project outcomes or organized stakeholder groups can indicate whether a community is likely to approach a project from an education or negotiation standpoint. Understanding where a community falls on that spectrum is critical, as a one-size-fits-all engagement strategy is no longer effective.
Despite this shift, many developers continue to approach siting with an education-first mindset. Engagement often begins too late, messaging leans heavily on technical detail rather than community impact and teams are underprepared for the level of scrutiny and negotiation that now defines many public interactions. In some cases, community expectations may also be shaped by incomplete information or unrealistic assumptions, adding another layer of complexity for developers to navigate. When that happens, meetings intended to inform stakeholders can quickly become adversarial, creating challenges that persist throughout the lifecycle of a project.
Engagement can no longer be treated as a single step in the development process. It must be a continuous, intentional and tailored effort that evolves alongside the project from early stakeholder mapping and proactive outreach to sustained communication through construction and operations.
Developers who recognize this shift are better positioned to build trust, navigate opposition and move projects forward. Those who do not risk falling behind in an environment where local expectations are only becoming more defined. At its core, this evolution reflects a broader shift in how communities view renewable energy, as they don’t just want to host projects but want to help shape them.
For more than 35 years, Mower has helped energy developers navigate complex siting environments, supporting stakeholder engagement, communications strategy and policy considerations across projects nationwide. As the industry continues to evolve, understanding how to move from education to negotiation will be critical to successfully siting the next generation of renewable energy projects.
If your company is interested in learning more, please reach out to Austin Philleo, Senior Account Supervisor, Public Relations and Public Affairs at aphilleo@mower.com.