SolarPunk
is real

How to replicate this

1. Form a band council or First Nation energy authority — establish legal entity with authority to sign power purchase agreements
2. Negotiate a Community Electricity Purchase Agreement (CEPA) with your provincial or national grid operator — 20-year terms are standard
3. Procure solar panels + battery storage for grid-forming microgrid — start with 500kW pilot, expand in phases
4. Apply for Indigenous Clean Energy grants (Canada: Indigenous and Northern Affairs; US: DOE Tribal Energy Program)
5. Hire locally — target 75%+ Indigenous labour hours in construction contracts
6. Document diesel displacement monthly — this becomes your case for expansion funding

How to replicate this

1. Identify a private renewable energy developer willing to do true equity partnership (not just revenue sharing) — Neoen Canada was the partner here
2. Structure as Limited Partnership or Joint Venture — Nations hold 50% equity stake from day one
3. Negotiate a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement with provincial utility — seek Crown corporation as offtaker
4. Include Indigenous labour hours requirement (75% target) in all construction contracts as a condition
5. Apply to Canada's Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program for project financing

How to replicate this

1. Identify an industrial energy buyer (mining, agriculture, manufacturing) who needs long-term price certainty — they'll pay for 30-year contracts
2. Structure the PPA so the buyer pays the Nation directly via the grid — negotiate wheeling fees with the utility
3. 100% Indigenous ownership requires securing equity financing without diluting control — use Indigenous Development Finance Corporations
4. Hire Worley or equivalent engineering firm experienced in Indigenous project delivery
5. Register as first-of-kind model in your province/state — document the legal path for others to follow

How to replicate this (off-grid solar for remote cultural sites)

1. Identify remote cultural, agricultural, or ceremony sites that currently use diesel generators
2. Size a solar + battery system for the actual load — caretaking sites often need 5–20kW with 2–3 days of storage
3. Contact Indigenized Energy (indigenizedenergy.org) — they specialize in exactly this
4. Apply to USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) — up to 50% grants for rural renewable energy
5. Document the cultural significance — funding bodies respond to the full story, not just the kWh numbers

How to start a Community Land Trust

1. Form a nonprofit 501(c)(3) with a tripartite board — 1/3 residents, 1/3 community members, 1/3 public interest reps (legal requirement for CLT governance)
2. Acquire land through city disposition, donation, or purchase — many cities have surplus land programs for affordable housing CLTs
3. Use a ground lease model: CLT owns land, homeowner/renter owns/occupies the building with a 99-year renewable ground lease
4. Include a resale formula in every ground lease — caps appreciation so homes stay affordable for the next buyer forever
5. Apply to LIHTC (Low Income Housing Tax Credit) or HOME Investment Partnerships Program for construction financing
6. Contact Grounded Solutions Network (groundedsolutions.org) — they train and support new CLTs

How to plant a community food forest

1. Identify available public land — approach city parks department with a formal proposal, emphasizing the 7-layer forest garden model
2. Design with the guild system: canopy trees (apple, pear, nut) → understory (elderberry, serviceberry) → shrubs (currant, gooseberry) → groundcover (clover, strawberry) → roots (comfrey) → vines
3. Apply to USDA Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program — up to $400K for food systems projects
4. Form a maintenance collective — 10–15 committed stewards can sustain a 1-acre food forest with monthly workdays
5. Contact Denver Urban Gardens (dug.org) — they offer technical assistance and training
6. Document yields and share openly — your harvest data becomes the case for the next food forest in your city

How to get your state to fund food sovereignty

1. Organize a coalition of existing community garden groups — strength in numbers for legislative advocacy
2. Frame food gardens as infrastructure (stormwater management, urban heat island reduction, food security) — not charity
3. Identify your state's Department of Agriculture grant programs — most states have equivalents
4. Apply as a coalition, not individuals — 51 organizations meant 51 communities showing up for this funding
5. Document economic impact: cost per pound of food produced vs. grocery prices in food deserts

How to start a worker cooperative

1. File as a Worker Cooperative Corporation (most US states now have specific statutes) or use a multi-member LLC with cooperative bylaws
2. Structure governance: one member, one vote — regardless of capital invested
3. Contact USFWC (US Federation of Worker Cooperatives) for legal templates and technical assistance
4. Apply to CDFI Fund for Community Development Financial Institution status — unlocks access to grant programs like Wealth Our Way
5. Look for city/county solidarity economy programs — Chicago, NYC, Boston, Oakland all have dedicated co-op development offices
6. Patronage dividends: members receive surplus distributions based on labor contribution, not capital — this is the key structural difference from a regular business

The cooperative grid model (if you want to own your energy)

1. Electric cooperatives are member-owned nonprofits — you pay into the coop, you own a share, you vote on rates and governance
2. Form an energy cooperative under your state's Electric Cooperative Act (most states have one)
3. Apply to USDA Rural Development Electric Program for low-interest loans for rural energy cooperatives
4. Pool cybersecurity resources across cooperatives through shared services agreements — this is the Essence 2.0 model
5. Contact NRECA (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association) for formation support