Case Study

A Scalable Approach to Community Benefit Agreements

Designing a More Strategic, Data-Driven Approach to CBAs in Southeast Kansas

Across the country, renewable energy developers are facing increasing pressure to demonstrate long-term value to the communities where they operate—particularly in places where local taxing structures delay or diminish direct benefits. In response, one leading clean energy developer partnered with Bantam Communications to design a more strategic, data-driven approach to Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs): one that could scale across a development portfolio while remaining grounded in local context.

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IN THIS CASE STUDY

The CBA Readiness Scorecard: a weighted tool that evaluates political and policy risk, public sentiment, project scale, and local economic and population indicators to determine if a CBA is warranted—and at what scale.
An independent CBA Committee: trusted local leaders guiding a transparent listening process to surface real priorities, separate from permitting.
Application to a Southeast Kansas wind project: using the framework to shape a long-term community investment focused on education and childcare.
How this dual-track model builds trust, reduces social risk, and offers a portfolio-ready approach beyond transactional giving.

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Learn about these results

Kansas offers a 10-year tax exemption for renewable projects, delaying early revenue for schools and public services. Using the Scorecard, this 300 MW project scored high on policy risk and capacity, and lower on organized opposition and local economic/population indicators—pointing to a moderate CBA value.

Through the Committee’s listening sessions, local leaders prioritized education and childcare. The developer committed $25,000 annually to a rural revitalization nonprofit focused on education and workforce development—establishing a credible, community-led partnership.

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