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8 Non-Profits Receive Grants to Advance Sustainability, Clean Energy and Diversity Initiatives

Community Commitment

Eight Non-Profits in Clean Power Alliance’s Service Territory Receive Grants to Advance Sustainability, Clean Energy and Diversity Initiatives

Calpine Energy Solutions’ new Community Benefits Program Awards more than $75,000 in Grants to Los Angeles and Ventura County Organizations

November 18, 2021 Los Angeles, CA — Clean Power Alliance (CPA), in partnership with Calpine Energy Solutions, is pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural Calpine Energy Solutions’ Community Benefits Program Reinvestment Grants. Through this innovative grant program, Calpine Energy Solutions, CPA’s customer support and billing services provider, invests 2% of the value of its contract with CPA back into the CPA service area. The grants are awarded to non-profits that advance energy-related engagement, commitment to disadvantaged communities, energy equity and diversity programs and foster local green initiatives.

The Community Benefits Program application period took place from Tuesday, August 10, 2021 to Wednesday, September 15, 2021. Twenty-four applications were received, with eight applicants being awarded grants ranging from $8,000 to $12,518. In all, the program awarded over $75,000 in grants.

Calpine Energy Solutions’ Senior Vice President of the CCA Business Unit Drake Welch believes the Community Benefits Program provides a great opportunity to develop long[1]term environmentally focused partnerships.

“Calpine Energy Solutions is committed to its CCA partners and the communities they serve,” Welch said. “We are delighted to sponsor a program that highlights the important work of community organizations while also amplifying the positive impact of the Clean Power Alliance.”

Grant recipients include the following organizations:

  • Active San Gabriel Valley’s mission is to support a more sustainable, equitable, livable San Gabriel Valley. The funding will go towards the purchase of an electric transit van to replace the fuel-inefficient gas pickup truck currently used to support programs and community events.
  • Clean Coalition is a non-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate the transition to renewable energy and a modern grid through technical, policy, and project development expertise. The grant will support a Microgrid Feasibility Study for the hub of critical Los Angeles County community facilities clustered in the disadvantaged and unincorporated East Los Angeles community.
  • Climate Action Santa Monica empowers people to learn about climate change, locally and beyond, and encourages them to use their talents, habits, and passion to help Santa Monica become a carbon-neutral and resilient community. The grant will support the 2022 Climate Corps program, which trains high school and college students on practical measures to combat climate change. • Columbia Memorial Space Center is a fun and affordable hands-on educational facility where everyone can come and learn about the wonders of science! The grant will support the ‘City of STEM’ science festival Innovation Challenge.
  • El Concilio Family Services is the ’Service Center for the rural low-income limited or non-English speaking community in Ventura County.’ The organization transitions low-income families by providing services that integrate them into the community to assist them in becoming self-sufficient, engaged, and greater contributors to the community. The grant will provide linguistically and culturally relevant messaging to the population served (immigrant communities) with outreach and education to residential customers regarding ways to help them reduce their energy usage during peak demand hours.
  • International Indigenous Youth Council seeks to organize youth through education, spiritual practices, and civic engagement to create positive change in communities. The grant will help support Community Outreach & Engagement, Digital Media, and Indigenous activism to support their mission of building a sustainable future for the next seven generations, with education, organization, and mobilization of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) youth organizers.
  • Special Service for Groups (SSG) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing community-based solutions to the social and economic issues facing those in the greatest need. The grant will support research and help develop community education and outreach materials focused on climate change, extreme heat, and the associated impact on public health especially for disadvantaged community members.
  • US Green Building Council – Los Angeles Chapter is made up of “Passionate, practical, and informed professionals and advocates who work together to transform Southern California into a more sustainable region for all.” The grant will fund Sustainability Fundamentals education workshops for students to be introduced to the goals, principles, and practical applications of sustainability, covering various topics as well as future career opportunities.

The Community Benefits Program is an innovative public-private partnership between Calpine Energy Solutions and Clean Power Alliance. Calpine Energy Solutions provides the funding and selects the winners, while Clean Power Alliance helps recruit non-profits in its service area to apply and provides guidance on the selection criteria.

“CPA is honored to promote this opportunity for deserving non-profits in the CPA service area to advance sustainability, clean energy, DEI and workforce development goals,” said Sherita Coffelt, Senior Director, External Affairs, at Clean Power Alliance. “We appreciate Calpine’s commitment through providing this support to the people in the communities we all serve.”

The Calpine Energy Solutions’ Community Benefits Program is an ongoing program. There will be another call for grant applicants in the second quarter of 2022. Interested non-profit organizations can visit cleanpoweralliance.org/calpinegrant to sign up to be notified when there are additional funds to be awarded.

About Clean Power Alliance

Founded in 2017, Clean Power Alliance is the locally operated electricity provider for 30 cities across Los Angeles County and Ventura County, as well as the unincorporated areas of both counties. CPA is the fifth largest electricity provider in California and the single largest provider of 100% renewable energy to customers in the nation. CPA serves approximately three million customers via one million customer accounts, providing clean renewable energy at competitive rates. To view CPA’s 2020 Impact Report, click here. For complete information regarding CPA visit 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 in California. Since 2009, Calpine has been a trusted business partner serving 21 operating CCAs and managing customer data for over 3.5 million customer accounts across the state. As part of a Fortune 500 company, Calpine Energy Solutions’ best-in-class back-office services helps guide clients from 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 enables Calpine’s clients to achieve their missions and long-term operational success.

Media Contacts:

Joseph Cabral, Clean Power Alliance
jcabral@cleanpoweralliance.org | (213) 442-8109

Shawn Marshall, Calpine Energy Solutions
Shawn.marshall@calpinesolutions.com | (415) 786-9118

Source: Eight Non-Profits in Clean Power Alliance’s Service Territory Receive Grants to Advance Sustainability, Clean Energy and Diversity Initiatives – CalCCA (cal-cca.org)