Event Details
When:
Tue, Feb 24, 2026, 4pm - 5:15pm
Location:
Online: Zoom
In-Person at WWU
Science Lecture, Room 150
Price:
Free
Brought to you by:
Institute for Energy Studies, The Foundation for WWU & Alumni
Description
Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) are legal frameworks that can make private industries liable for doing right by the communities they build in. Public support is everything when it comes to large scale developments in communities, and CBAs are used to exchange that support for tangible benefits like funding, local jobs, infrastructure, or programs of the community’s determination.
We’ll discuss best practices for CBAs, their strengths and limitations, as well as a case study on the ongoing effort for CBA on the proposed Starfire Solar Project in Eastern Kentucky.
If you would like to be added to the Institute for Energy Studies newsletter, please sign up online.
Featuring:
Fall 2025 graduate Matthew Benedict (BA in Energy Policy and Management) is currently in his second year as an AmeriCorps VISTA in Eastern Kentucky, where he is coordinating efforts to negotiate a Community Benefits Agreement between a large solar farm developer and the community in which it will be located. Matthew will be speaking about the experience on February 24 for the IES Speaker Series.
Questions and Accommodations
- Contact The Foundation for WWU & Alumni for this event if you have questions or need disability accommodations by calling (360) 650-3353 or emailing Alumni@wwu.edu.
- Advance notice for disability accommodations and special needs is greatly appreciated. Please indicate your special needs on the registration form.
- There will be auto-captions available for the Zoom webinar.
Visitor Parking at WWU on Weekdays
- Mon-Fri, 7:00am-4:30pm: limited paid parking is available at the south C lots and north 6V and 7G lots.
- Purchase your permit at the lot pay stations or use the Parkmobile app.
- More parking details for campus visitors are available online.
Parking at WWU on Weekdays for Visitors with Disabilities
- Mon-Fri, 7:00am-4:30pm: both a WWU permit and state disability placard are needed.
- Purchase your permit at the pay stations in lot C or 6V or use the Parkmobile app (use Zone 1200). This allows parking in any disability space. If these are full, you can use a non-reserved space nearby.
- More parking details for campus visitors with disabilities are available online.
The views expressed by our speaker do not necessarily reflect those of Western Washington University.
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Tuesday, January 20, 2026
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Tuesday, January 27, 2026
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Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Behind the Scenes of Federal Funding: How Opportunities Are Designed and Delivered
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Geothermal Energy: Past, Present, and Future
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Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Science & Policy: The Good and the Bad
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Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Community Benefits as a Tool for Energy Justice
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
More details to come!
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
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