Spotlight Community Profiles

Local Insights Driving National Innovation in Controlled Environment Agriculture

The CEA Accelerator partnered with five communities across the U.S. to test and validate tools that lower barriers to entry for resource-efficient CEA. A brief description of each community is below. More detailed profiles will be available in an appendix in the final project report. These profiles highlight local agricultural contexts, infrastructure, workforce potential, and climate conditions and offer real-world insights that inform future deployment strategies. These profiles serve as models for other communities exploring CEA development as part of their food, energy, and economic strategies.

Where We Worked

Explore the geographic diversity of our community partners.

Local Insights, National Impact

The CEA Accelerator partnered with five communities across the U.S. to test and validate tools that lower barriers to entry for resource-efficient CEA. A brief description of each community is below. More detailed profiles will be available in an appendix in the final project report. These profiles highlight local agricultural contexts, infrastructure, workforce potential, and climate conditions and offer real-world insights that inform future deployment strategies.

York County, Pennsylvania
Rooted in Agriculture, Poised for Innovation

With a strong agricultural identity and preserved farmland, York County is well-positioned for CEA adoption. However, small and emerging growers face high startup costs and limited access to CEA-specific support. Recommended solutions include expanding technical assistance and leveraging efficient HVAC, colocation, and water technologies.

Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i
Remote Innovation, Local Resilience

Kaua‘i offers year-round growing conditions and a strong tradition of diversified agriculture, but struggles with geographic isolation, high energy costs, and limited infrastructure. Technology pathways focus on local, less expensive electricity, water efficiency, and climate-adapted HVAC to support local food production and economic resilience.

Augusta, Georgia, and Rural Surroundings
Legacy Agriculture Meets Emerging Opportunity

This region offers affordable land, water access, and strong agricultural institutions, but barriers persist for small operators navigating financing and zoning. Stakeholders identified colocation, advanced controls, and energy-efficient HVAC systems as key tools to help bridge the resource gap and expand inclusive CEA adoption.

Southwest Lake Erie Region (Detroit, Toledo, Wooster, Cleveland)
A Legacy of Agriculture, a Future in Innovation

A highly industrialized, agriculturally rich region with strong research infrastructure, this area faces challenges with land access and financing for small farms. High colocation potential, paired with more efficient heat and advanced control systems, offers a blueprint for scaling sustainable CEA in urban and rural zones alike.

Riverside, California
A Historic Agriculture Hub Shaping the Future of Controlled Environments

Once the heart of California’s citrus boom, Riverside is now a regional innovation center with strong institutional support—but high land costs and regulatory complexity pose real challenges. Solutions lie in deploying efficient water and energy systems, local energy generation, and policy reforms to support local-scale operations.

Thank you to those who contributed to our Community Engagement Committee who helped develop these profiles.

Dulce Dorado, Resource Innovation Institute
Dr. Vanessa Ellison, University of Texas Health Science Center
Frederick Griffin, Ebony Tree Farms 
Joyce Jong, City of Riverside
James Brady, OmniGro
George Carter, Skout Strategy, Inc. 
Sharee McFadden, City of York, Pennsylvania
Nicole Shaffer, Doceo Office Solutions