绘制美国社区组织的区域生态图谱：对公平太阳能发展的启示

摘要

Community-based organizations (CBOs) in the United States deliver critical services and resources that enhance community resilience, health, and wellbeing. CBOs play an important role in facilitating low-to-moderate-income (LMI) communities' access to solar energy benefits, acting as bridges between regulators, policymakers, and community needs. This article addresses key knowledge gaps in understanding the organizational landscape of CBOs engaged in solar development, outreach and education within LMI communities. The research draws on a nationwide survey of 161 CBOs examining their reported challenges, opportunities, communication barriers, and motivations. The study characterizes eight organizational dimensions—including energy independence awareness, green finance awareness, degree of community outreach, and workforce installation—based on CBOs' self-reported knowledge, capacities, and experiences. These dimensions were visualized using GIS software to map regional patterns of CBO engagement. Based on CBOs' own perceptions, the analysis provides an empirical characterization of regional ecologies and documents associations between CBO characteristics and their reported activities and strategies. The article offers insights that may inform policymakers' approaches to supporting CBOs in promoting solar adoption and addressing energy inequities. Further research using longitudinal and quasi-experimental designs would be valuable for establishing causal relationships between specific CBO interventions and solar deployment or energy equity outcomes.