Local opposition to siting of wind and solar energy projects stands to threaten the renewable energy transition in New York State. The state government has sought to quell this opposition by statutorily requiring developers to provide community benefits as a condition of their permits. One way these benefits are secured is through host community agreements (HCAs), with the developer typically agreeing to make payments to the municipality from project revenue in exchange for the municipality promising not to oppose the project during the state permitting process. This Article sets out to understand the practical role HCAs play in siting of renewable energy projects by reviewing and analyzing the six publicly available HCAs negotiated in New York State. It argues that thus far, developers and local governments use HCAs as a tool to serve their own interests, rather than to address concerns articulated by community members.