Rural Energy Academy
Empowering rural communities to innovate in energy production, the Rural Energy Academy equips county leaders, planners, and economic developers with the tools and expertise to drive sustainable growth.
Hosted by the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National Association of Development Officials (NADO), the Academy offers on-demand education, expert-led technical assistance, energy tours, and peer-learning opportunities—all designed to transform energy strategies from displacement to expansion.
Launched in July 2025, the Mana Group is the Managing Partner for the Academy and will work alongside other subject matter experts to create comprehensive case studies and other responsive resources to help to build a resilient, rural energy landscape.
To learn about the Academy, please visit National Association of Counties (NACo).
Anticipated Impact
The Academy and its activities can help change the narrative on energy production from displacement to expansion; from erasing the past to building our collective future. County and municipal governments are, in many ways, the laboratory of innovation. Local leaders will be given tools, training and networking opportunities that build their expertise on energy production, allow them to visit and see success stories in-person, learn from unsuccessful projects, and efficiently solicit and incorporate community input to be fully equipped to make decisions about their communities’ energy future.
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Hosts
The Academy, hosted by NACo and NADO, will serve nearly 40,000 county officials, 3.6 million county employees, and more than 500 Regional Development Organizations nationwide.
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Audience
Rural County elected representatives, zoning officials, planners, economic development professionals.
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Timeline
Launched in July 2025, activities to gather information and coordinate education and execution are now underway.
Rural Energy Academy.
The National Association of Counties (NACo), in partnership with the National Association of Development Officials (NADO), are working together to launch a Rural Energy Academy (“the Academy”) to provide resources, peer learning opportunities and targeted technical assistance (TA) to rural decision makers as they consider diversifying or expanding their energy production portfolios.
NACo and NADO, as trusted brokers of information for and coordinators of rural stakeholders, would lead the Academy and incorporate its programming into their member offerings. An Advisory Board would manage the Academy made up of its hosts, its seed funder – the Siting Clean Collaborative, Mana Group Consulting, and other subject matter experts.