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Transitioning to a Clean Energy Future

Accelerating Renewable Energy

TNC is driving an energy transition in North America where people and nature thrive.

Solar and wind energy in desert valley.
Permitting Reform Early morning Aerial Sunrise View over Solar Panels and Windmills in Palm Springs, California. © adamkaz/Getty Images

TNC is accelerating a renewable energy buildout that minimizes impacts to nature and maximizes benefits to people. 

The renewable energy buildout we need in order to reach our climate and energy goals could take up a land area the size of Texas. That would create significant impacts on plants, animals and communities across the country. But thoughtful planning and management of the renewable energy buildout could reduce those land impacts by more than half.

That is why TNC has prioritized accelerating a renewable energy buildout that focuses on minimizing impacts to nature and maximizing benefits to people. We call this a “3C” approach because it considers climate, conservation and communities.

Two people stand and talk in front of solar panels.
Accelerating Clean Energy Building solar on former mine lands such as the Elizabeth Mine is a win-win for nature and communities as it utilizes already industrialized lands for developing solar energy. © StoryWorkz

We must make it faster, easier and cheaper for 3C projects to come online. That is the key to deploying renewable energy at the pace and scale we need to reach our climate goals in the U.S.
Jessica Wilkinson, North America Renewable Energy Team Lead

Our focus is accelerating renewable energy that maximizes benefits for the climate, conservation and communities.

Graphic that says 3Cs framework with three pictures around it.
The 3Cs A thoughtful renewable energy transition must consider climate, conservation and communities.

What are the 3Cs?

To build renewable energy at the scale and pace needed, the buildout must overcome several hurdles that are slowing down the energy transition. The biggest public concerns are potential impacts to the environment, land and property values, as well as whether the transition to clean energy will be fair and just, given historic inequities and negative impacts from fossil fuel-based energy. A thoughtful buildout that considers the 3Cs can reduce opposition to renewable energy and speed up the energy transition.

The renewable energy buildout should address:

  • Climate: Maximize reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Conservation: Avoid impacts to wildlife and habitat and restore and enhance nature.
  • Communities: Center communities and Indigenous Peoples, working in collaboration to support shared benefits and an equitable transition.

The rapid transition to renewable energy can be good for people and the planet if it’s done right.

TNC incorporates the 3Cs into all aspects of how we work to accelerate the renewable energy buildout. The following stories show how we incorporate the 3Cs into our planning, siting, buying and policy work.

flowers, solar panels and wind turbines
Advance Clean Energy Large-scale clean energy projects—such as wind and solar power—are critical to affordably meeting growing energy demand and maintaining grid reliability. © Adobe Stock

3Cs Planning

Providing decision-makers and energy planners with the research and tools they need to make informed decisions about the renewable energy infrastructure buildout.

Maps are a starting point for responsible clean energy development

Relationship-driven planning—not data-driven siting—will be the key to accelerating the clean energy transition.

Power of Place: Clean Energy Solutions that Protect People and Nature

TNC’s national report can help energy planners and policymakers execute net-zero strategies that maximize benefits for climate, nature and people.

Permitting Reform Would Accelerate Climate Mitigation and Restoration Projects

To protect nature and tackle climate change, the U.S. needs to accelerate clean energy and habitat restoration projects. Modernizing permitting processes will help us get there.

Offshore Wind Opportunities

Offshore wind can help meet energy needs, reduce carbon pollution and could benefit marine life and ocean habitats around the world.

BLM Announces 31 Million Acres of Public Land Ideal for Nature Positive Solar Energy Development

The new Western Solar Plan supports accelerating smart renewable energy siting across the western U.S.

3Cs Siting

Offering successful demonstration projects, mapping tools and the best available science to inform project site selection and design to avoid unnecessary impacts to nature and people.

Northern Attitude: Small New England Town Embraces Solar on a Former Copper Mine

An old copper mine sat in the center of Strafford, Vermont. Until the local community voted to install 20,000 solar panels that now generate enough energy to power every home in the town.

Mining the Sun: Benefits of Solar Energy on Former Mine Sites

TNC’s Mining the Sun suggests that siting new energy infrastructure on degraded lands like mining sites, landfills and brownfields can cost-effectively transform these sites into clean energy hubs.

Clean Energy Compass

The Clean Energy Compass is our first-stop tool for clean energy planning. It can help guide clean energy planning that maximizes benefits to climate, conservation and communities.

How Nevada and West Virginia are Reclaiming Former Mine Lands with Solar Panels

Nevada and West Virginia, two states with different identities, are finding themselves on the cutting edge of clean energy opportunity.

3Cs Buying

Supporting buyers that want to procure renewable energy projects that maximize benefits to the 3Cs.

BrightNight, Rivian and The Nature Conservancy Unite to Transform Starfire Coal Mine into Kentucky’s Largest Renewable Power Project

CEOs announce innovative renewable energy project built on a coal mine that will honor Kentucky’s legacy as an energy producer while benefiting climate, conservation and local communities.

The Purpose-Driven Toolkit

The Purpose-Driven Toolkit is an integrated suite of clean energy procurement resources that embed 3C principles. It includes: Offer Assessment Form; RFP Template; & Power With Purpose White Paper.

Charting a Clean Energy Future in the Midwest

A new TNC report provides a pathway for Midwest businesses to attain greenhouse gas reduction targets—while lessening impacts on nature and people from the renewable buildout.

Buy Renewables Right: 3 Things Companies Can Do to Promote a Clean and Green Future

We need more clean energy—but we need to put it in the right places. Here’s how companies can help.

3Cs Policy

Working at the federal, state and local levels to advocate for policies that incentivize and prioritize projects that are clean, green and equitable.

Powering Change in the Appalachian Mountains

The Appalachians have long been known for coal. But a quiet shift is taking place as many Kentuckians, like Bobby Stallard, are redefining their relationship with energy by turning to solar power.

New Report Recommends Best Practices for Reforming State-Level Renewable Energy Siting

The report provides key considerations and best practices to accelerate permitting processes while minimizing environmental impacts and maximizing social benefits.

A State Policy Roadmap to a Faster Clean Energy Buildout

This report outlines practical strategies for legislators to quickly expand clean energy in a way that addresses constituents’ concerns. It lays out a menu including tried-and-tested approaches to clean energy legislation.

Six Pathways to a Clean and Green Energy Buildout

Accelerating clean energy development is critical—here’s how we do it the right way.

Renewable Energy Research and Reports

Explore More

Person stands in field under tree.

Tackling Climate Change in North America

Learn how TNC is advancing strategies to expand clean energy and implement natural climate solutions across North America.

U.S. Capitol Building at sunset.

Advancing U.S. Policy

Learn how TNC partners with national, state and local governments to advance federal policy solutions that work for people and nature in the U.S.

Wind turbines in landscape in Europe.

Clean Energy Transition

We no longer need to choose between abundant energy and a cleaner environment. A renewable energy revolution is happening across the globe.