At ACTT, we empower our island with knowledge and spearhead projects that expand renewable energy access and local equity building for all income levels. We work with the community to create projects that empower people, create a resilient power grid, and foster a strong sense of ownership and future stewardship. 

Community-Led: At ACTT, we prioritize projects cultivated and driven by local leaders and residents. We support our community in siting, constructing, governing, and maintaining long-term access and control over our energy so that we can build Mount Desert Island's resilience and equity while creating jobs for ourselves and future generations. To date, all of our projects have been driven by leaders in our community, working within or in collaboration with ACTT leadership. 

Community-Owned: We’ve run the numbers and ownership matters. When individuals or communities own an array, they reap all the financial and renewable energy benefits. This is in contrast to investor-owned subscription models, which can result in small savings on energy bills but do little to build equity for local communities and rarely involve communities in development, construction, or other important decisions. While the subscription model has a role to play, ACTT has prioritized true community solar: models that provide an opportunity for local ownership.  

Community-Sited: Like any development, if solar is not strategically and mindfully sited, it has the potential to disrupt natural ecosystems and displace wildlife. Guided by the Maine Audubon's Best Practices, we work within our community to thoughtfully site projects. We prioritize construction on roofs and disturbed sites like capped landfills and retired gravel pits to best protect our island's unique and precious ecosystems. To date, all of our large-scale projects have been constructed on former landfills, like Tremont’s municipal array and the ownership-based EMR array, or on rooftops like the MDI Highschool and Mount Desert municipal array.