Energy Ready: Expanding Energy Options Across the U.S.

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!

Charging Smart

Working with partners across the country, the Charging Smart program is helping local governments become leaders in EV deployment. Municipalities play an important role in establishing policies, procedures, and programs that impact the deployment of electric vehicle charging equipment in their communities. By expediting the installation of EV charging stations, local governments help make EV charging more accessible for residents and businesses. 

With free expert technical assistance, Charging Smart supports communities in adopting procedures and policies that make a difference, thereby advancing the growth of EVs across the country.

SolSmart

SolSmart provides no-cost technical assistance to help local jurisdictions reduce barriers and open their doors to solar energy growth. Since the launch of the program, more than 500 cities, counties, towns, and regional organizations have achieved designation as SolSmart Gold, Silver, or Bronze. This program is co-led by IREC and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).

Local governments have tremendous influence over the growth of solar energy. SolSmart helps communities achieve national best practices to encourage solar energy expansion at the local level. Our expert technical assistance team guides communities on planning and zoning, permitting, community engagement, and other programs and policies that impact solar market growth.

Other Technical Assistance Programs

While large-scale renewables have a critical role to play in meeting growing U.S. energy needs and addressing the threat of climate change, intentionality is required to ensure these projects appropriately address community priorities and concerns. Important considerations range from protecting habitats and farmland to ensuring benefits for local residents to maintaining scenic views and much more. IREC offers a host of programs designed to help local governments address these aspects of development.