“Providing funding to these community organizations helps advance their work in clean energy, sustainability and resiliency and enhances the health and wellbeing of the communities CPA serves,” said Gina Goodhill, Clean Power Alliance’s Senior Director of Government Affairs. “The selected projects will benefit thousands of individuals and move us closer to a clean energy future.”
Calpine Energy Solutions awards the program funding, while CPA develops the grant guidelines and helps recruit local non-profit organizations to apply for the funding. Both organizations work together to review the applications and choose awardees. This year’s application period took place from Aug. 1 to Oct. 6, 2023.
Josh Brock, Calpine Energy Solutions’ Vice President of CCA Commercial Operations, says the annual Community Benefits Grant Program provides an opportunity to develop long-term partnerships with groups working to bring environmental benefits to their communities.
“Calpine Energy Solutions is committed to our many CCA partners and the wide range of communities they serve,” said Brock. “We are delighted to continue sponsoring this program which does a great job of highlighting the important work of many community organizations, while amplifying the positive impact Clean Power Alliance has throughout Southern California.”
This year’s grant recipients include the following non-profit organizations:
Climate First: Replacing Oil & Gas ($25,000) Funds will go toward workforce development to increase career exploration and community awareness of green industry opportunities. Alongside local trade unions, the organization will utilize virtual reality (VR) to provide an introduction to offshore wind production and turbine maintenance.
Columbia Memorial Space Center ($20,000) – Funds will support City of STEM, the largest program promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math in Los Angeles. The program is committed to opening equitable access to STEM learning, especially to those members of the public from marginalized communities, as well as under-resourced neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles.
Friends of the Los Angeles River ($25,000) – Funds will be used to support The LA River & Me Education Program and general operations. The LA River & Me Program provides an opportunity to connect 140 classes from 70 Title 1 schools to the natural world. The program brings students to the LA River on a field trip, where they participate in three interactive educational stations. The LA River watershed covers more than 800 square miles of the most densely populated, ethnically, and socio-economically diverse region in the United States. The program covers 21 of CPA’s member communities, with priority to applicants from Alhambra, Carson, Downey, Paramount, and South Pasadena.
Grid Alternatives LA ($20,000) – Funds will be used to provide homeowners in Carson and Whittier with reroofs, service panel upgrades, and any other necessary professional services to access no-cost solar energy systems.
LA Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability (LARC) ($20,000) – Funds will be used to create a Clean Energy Education Campaign to educate the public in the greater Los Angeles region about the benefits of clean energy and promote more sustainable energy usage. LARC will form a Community Advisory Group (CAG) to guide the campaign and will enlist two UCLA College Corps Fellows in the campaign.
Merito Foundation ($30,000) – Funds will be used toward advancing energy literacy and green workforce development opportunities for Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) students. The project will empower 1,200 multicultural and economically unprivileged VUSD students in grades 7-12 to innovate solutions that reduce the carbon footprint of their school campuses through six months of in-class energy literacy, culminating in a STEM competition.
Oxnard Performing Arts Center ($23,900) – Funds will be used to incorporate solar energy art activities and education into a year-long initiative. The program is expected to reach 20,000 individuals, including teens, youth, and families within Ventura County. Activities will include Solar Summer Camp, Family Art Night, and the launch of a solar art cart to be used at various events.
Pando Populus ($20,000) – Funding will go toward Pando Days, a project-centered learning program for colleges and universities focused on implementing Los Angeles County’s sustainability goals. This year’s program spans 20 universities and community colleges throughout Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Santa Monica Mountains Foundation ($25,000) – Funding will support the development of the Los Angeles region’s first native seed production farm. This project will seek to increase resiliency to climate change, mitigate the threat of extreme wildfires, offer employment opportunities and environmental education for diverse youth, and enhance wildlife habitat and ecosystems.
Tree People ($25,000) – Funding will support the Tree People Eco Tours, where trained leaders lead K-6 students and teachers on guided trail hikes to experience the outdoors while learning about the concepts of climate change. This funding will help expand education to disadvantaged youth from both Los Angeles and Ventura counties, to experience STEM and ensure inclusive environmental education.
U.S. Green Business Council (USGBC) ($30,000) – Funding will be used to develop a certification for construction professionals to learn and adopt best practices around improvements and materials for buildings and landscapes to reduce the long-term extreme heat-related impacts of climate change. This training will build upon the successful model developed and implemented by USGBC-LA to provide wildfire defense training and certifications for construction and landscaping professionals.
Ventura County Community Foundation ($25,000) – Funding will be used for operational support to increase coordination and capacity building around the foundation’s environmental literacy programming, workforce development in green jobs, and resiliency for outdoor workers faced with extreme heat.
The next round of Community Benefits Grant Program applications will open in the fall of 2024.
In addition to this grant program, CPA also invests in the many communities it serves through various programs that provide customers with access to cost-savings as well as energy-saving opportunities. Together these programs create healthier communities by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating green jobs. Learn more about these CPA programs at CleanPowerAlliance.org/programs.
About Clean Power Alliance
Founded in 2017, Clean Power Alliance is the locally operated not-for-profit electricity provider for 30 cities across Los Angeles County and Ventura County, as well as the unincorporated areas of both counties. CPA is the fourth largest electricity provider in California and leads the nation in serving the most customers with 100% renewable energy. CPA serves approximately three million residents and businesses via one million customer accounts, providing clean renewable energy at competitive rates. You can learn more at CleanPowerAlliance.org.
About Calpine Energy Solutions
Calpine Energy Solutions is the premier provider of data management and customer contact center services for Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) Agencies. Since 2009, Calpine has been a trusted business partner serving 22 operating CCAs and managing customer data for over 5 million customer accounts across the United States. Calpine Energy Solution’s best-in-class back-office services help guide clients from the initial program launch through mass enrollment phases and beyond. Decades of utility and billing experience, electronic data interchange, customized implementation planning, and robust customer data management enable Calpine’s clients to achieve their missions and long-term operational success.
Media Contact
Joseph Cabral, Clean Power Alliance, 213-442-8109, [email protected], http://www.cleanpoweralliance.org
SOURCE Clean Power Alliance
