Projects

SCALE Up is a project-based workshop series organized by USDN for local governments and their community partners to support local climate resilience and adaptation or solar projects. Each series provides a platform to learn from peer communities navigating similar projects and to connect with subject matter experts who can help troubleshoot challenges and provide guidance on project finance or project implementation.

Target Audience

SCALE Up is open to any local government working on a solar or climate resilience and adaptation project at any stage of development — from concept through pre-construction. Local governments are encouraged to invite their inter-agency and community partners to participate alongside them.

Format

This series will be organized into two sprints in 2026, one for climate resilience and adaptation projects, kicking off June 2026, and the other for solar projects (Oct-Dec 2026). Each sprint will consist of three monthly workshops. The monthly workshops will follow this structure:

Session 1: Learn how your peers are doing it,
Session 2: Learn how to fund your project,
Session 3: Learn how to overcome challenges with support from experts in the field.

Expectations for Participants

Participants should come prepared to work on a specific, locally led project or program in active development. Participants are expected to register and/or have municipal representation for all three workshops within their chosen sprint. Participation in both sprints is welcome.

Sprint One: Local Resilience and Adaptation Programs and Project Development (June 2026 - September 2026)
Sprint Two: Local Solar Programs and Project Development (October 2026 -December 2026)

Outcomes

Through this cohort, participants will:

Be able to tell the story of local needs in their community.
Be able to assess and strengthen the capacity of their local government to make more strategic short-, mid-, and long-term decisions around funding and financing, capacity, and partnerships.
Be able to incorporate lessons learned and successes from models from across North America into their local project development processes.
Be better prepared to address project development challenges.

Schedule & Registration

Sprint One: Local Resilience and Adaptation Program and Project Development

Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/VWjN3nVcR06bwkZGOTqAGQ

Session 1: June 16, 2-3:00PM ET - How to do it
Session 2: July 21, 2-3:00PM ET - How to fund it
Session 3: September 15, 2-3:00PM ET - How to overcome challenges

Sprint two: Local Solar Program and Project Development

Registration Link: (Coming Soon)

Session 1: October 20, 2-3:00PM ET - How to do it
Session 2: November 17, 2-3:00PM ET - How to fund it
Session 3: December 15, 2-3:00PM ET - How to overcome challenges

Have Questions?

Contact Cynthia McCoy and Summer Sandoval for questions about this workshop series.