Rural Energy Academy

NACo will continue to offer a Rural Energy Academy Technical Assistance Cohort program in 2027. The application period will be open during the month of January, for an anticipated program period between March and May.

To indicate interest in the upcoming cohort and be among the first to receive the application please complete this form here.

For more information on the syllabus, strategies and counties that participated in 2026, please use the dropdown below.

The first Rural Energy Academy (REA) Technical Assistance Cohort was launched at the 2026 Legislative Conference. The cohort ran from Feb. 22- May 28 and focused on supporting the following counties in achieving energy development goals. View the program syllabus here and explore below how county leaders are turning lessons and conversations into action.

• Apache County, Ariz. is using REA lessons to strengthen engagement with state partners, improve local energy policies and pursue community benefit agreements that help ensure future projects support schools, local infrastructure and long-term economic development. The county created a regional leadership forum bringing together county officials, municipalities and economic development partners to coordinate responses to proposed renewable energy projects.  
• Beaverhead County, Mont. is applying REA engagement strategies to build public support for transmission infrastructure needed to unlock future energy development. The county is working with project partners on expansion opportunities tied to the 80-megawatt Clēnera solar project, which was developed without tax abatement and is one of the county’s largest taxpayers. 
• Botetourt County, Va. is applying REA lessons and strategies to secure new commitments for public engagement related to a data center campus expected to be built over multiple phases. County leaders are establishing plans for public meetings, community outreach, direct mail communications and ongoing project updates, helping create a long-term transparency and engagement model for major development projects. 
• Chaves County, N.M. is using REA participation to build foundational knowledge around renewable energy development, community benefits and long-term project planning. County leaders are incorporating lessons to better understand community needs and more effectively negotiate the future workforce and economic benefits for taxpayers while enhancing decommissioning and reclamation protections.  
• Colusa County, Calif. is launching efforts to engage agricultural landowners, fire districts, utility providers, developers and other stakeholders as it develops its first utility-scale solar energy ordinance. REA participation helped county leaders strengthen expectations for siting, safety and agricultural protections. The county is also exploring updates to its economic development strategy and impact fee program to address large-scale renewable energy development. 
• Grant County, Wash. is applying REA lessons to review and refine renewable energy regulations, including updates to solar ordinances and policy considerations tied to an active wind energy moratorium. The county is incorporating REA insights into ordinance revisions to strengthen its long-term approach to renewable energy siting, regulation and community planning. 
• Jack County, Texas is leveraging REA lessons to strengthen proactive public engagement, regional collaboration and long-term infrastructure planning as energy development accelerates. Home to a natural gas generation facility, four wind farms, two solar projects and multiple 345-kV transmission corridors, the county is preparing for growing interest in data center development. The county has hosted public meetings with peer officials and a nearby water conservation district to inform and identify mechanisms to strengthen standards. 
• Lyon County, Nev. is developing the county's first data center ordinance using lessons learned through REA interaction with peer counties and subject matter experts. As applications for solar projects and data center campuses continue to increase, Lyon County leaders are applying updated renewable energy standards to active projects while exploring an energy overlay district and community benefit agreement frameworks to ensure future development aligns with rural character and delivers long-term local benefits. 
• Marathon County, Wis. is using REA engagement strategies like creating the Alternative Energy Project Local Impact Advisory Committee to gather input and inform energy ordinances and specific projects. The county approved an updated BESS ordinance to increase public safety. However, in Wisconsin, not all projects fall under county authority, so Marathon County also developed an energy ordinance that requires developers to share engineering plans with enough time for the county to review them and file comments on projects under state review.
• Morrow County, Ore. is applying REA lessons as the county manages simultaneous proposals for tens of thousands of acres of solar development, more than 1,000 acres of data centers and over 50 miles of transmission infrastructure. County leaders are advancing a comprehensive approach that emphasizes co-location of energy generation, transmission and large power users, while advancing agrivoltaics, strengthening decommissioning requirements and developing long-term renewable energy recycling strategies to help “close the loop” on future solar development. 
• Olmsted County, Minn. is advancing a comprehensive stakeholder engagement and education strategy to support its new $52 million Materials Recovery Facility, which is expected to help the county achieve its 75% recycling goal. Drawing on REA lessons, county leaders developed a six-part outreach strategy that includes public awareness campaigns, school programs, legislative engagement, workshops and on-site education. County leaders are also pursuing ordinance updates to better prepare for future renewable energy and data center development.