The Local Engagement, Assessment, and Planning (Leap) Framework: A Method for Community Engagement in Energy Project Development

Decisions about the siting of energy infrastructure have traditionally prioritized factors such as cost, access to transportation corridors, and proximity to existing infrastructure. While community input has sometimes been considered, it has not always been a principal component of the decision-making process. In some cases, this has contributed to tensions between local residents and industry. In recent years, there has been growing interest—from firms, government agencies, and academic researchers—in developing more structured approaches to community engagement. In this paper, we introduce the Local Engagement, Assessment, and Planning (LEAP) Framework as a method for community engagement related to energy projects. The LEAP includes four components: 1) Structured Community Listening Sessions; 2) Project and Community Mapping; 3) Economic and Tax Impact Modeling; and 4) Communication Back to the Community. The LEAP Framework aims to enhance local capacity for informed decision-making by providing high-quality information in a transparent and accessible format to support deliberative dialogue between project developers and local community stakeholders.