Community Solar
We build cooperatively owned solar gardens that allow members to access clean energy and receive credits on their electric bills — without installing panels at home.
Learn moreAbout us
Energy should work for people. So, we put people in charge.
Cooperative Energy Futures (CEF) is a member-owned cooperative building a cleaner, fairer energy future — one where communities don’t just use clean energy, they own it, shape it, and share in its benefits.
A new energy future, built together.
For too long, the benefits and financial rewards of clean energy have been difficult to access if you don’t own a home or have money to invest.
We’re here to change that.
CEF develops community-owned clean energy solutions that remove upfront costs, lower energy bills, and make it possible for more households — including renters, low-income families, and communities historically left out of the clean energy transition — to take part.
Because one person can only do so much alone. But many people, acting together, can change the entire energy system.
What we do
We make clean energy more accessible, affordable and community owned.
CEF develops and operates clean energy programs that help households and communities lower costs, reduce emissions, and build long-term community wealth. We’re here to change that.
Affordable Housing Solar
We partner with affordable housing providers to bring on-site solar to residents, reducing energy costs and expanding access to cleaner power.
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Sustainable Homes
We help households make practical home energy improvements that increase comfort, reduce energy waste, and support cleaner everyday living.
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Future Energy Solutions
We’re exploring new ways for communities to benefit from clean energy — including geothermal, district heating and cooling, virtual power plants, and other community-scale solutions.
Learn moreOur impact
13 MW
of low-income-accessible community solar developed across Minnesota
1,300+
member households receiving clean energy benefits
25 years
of projected utility bill credits from our community solar projects
$0 up-front
options designed to make clean energy easier to access
100% Member-owned
so the benefits of clean energy stay connected to the people who use it
Beyond solar
expanding into home efficiency, cleaner heating and cooling, and future community energy solutions
Why we exist
The energy system wasn’t built for everyone. So we’re helping build a better one.
Low-income households and communities of color have too often carried the burden of high energy costs while being left out of the benefits of clean energy investment. CEF uses energy as a tool for something bigger: economic justice, climate justice, and community ownership. Our model is designed to work for people who can’t invest upfront, don’t own a home, or have been shut out of traditional energy solutions. Because when clean energy works for those facing the greatest barriers, it works better for everyone.
What cooperative means to us
One member. One vote.
Shared power. Shared benefit.
Being a cooperative means our members have a real stake in the future we’re building together. At CEF, members don’t just participate in our programs. They help guide the organization. Every member has a voice. Every member has a vote. And when the cooperative succeeds, the value we create is shared back with the people who helped create it. This is energy democracy in action: communities owning, managing, and benefiting from clean energy together.
Democratic Ownership
Every member has a voice in the direction of the cooperative.
Shared Profits
Profits can return to members based on their participation in CEF programs.
Community Wealth
Clean energy becomes a way to build long-term value in the communities it serves.
Collective Power
Together, members can do more than lower bills. They can help shift the energy system.
Our values
Community power in every sense.
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Access
Clean energy should not depend on income, credit, homeownership, or upfront investment.
Ownership
The people who use clean energy should have the chance to own its benefits.
Justice
The clean energy transition must address historic inequities, not repeat them.
Community
Real change happens when people work together for shared benefit.
Democracy
Energy decisions should be shaped by the people and communities they affect.
Momentum
We’re building practical solutions today while pushing toward a bigger energy future.