Local Community Benefits Grant Recipients Reaching Goals with Funding Support

Last fall, CPA and Calpine Energy Solutions selected 10 non-profits in Clean Power Alliance’s service area to receive over $200,000 in grants focused on advancing energy initiatives.

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 our service area, to support community-focused programs.

The grants are awarded to non-profits that advance energy-related programs, a commitment to disadvantaged communities, local energy equity and diversity programs and sustainability initiatives.

Sustainable Claremont, a non-profit that works on environmental and social sustainability initiatives, received funding to support four clean energy interns to assist with public dialogue and social media engagement. Executive Director Stuart Wood said the funding helps their group accomplish several essential community goals.

“At Sustainable Claremont, our mission is to engage people in education and action to create a more sustainable community – environmentally, socially, and economically. Funding from Calpine and CPA’s Community Grant program has helped us do just that,” said Wood. “Over the course of the last six months, with their support, we have been able to host a community dialog on our clean energy future, we have been able to provide regular newsletter and social media educational bits to our network of more than 5,000 community members, and most importantly, have been able to onboard four clean power paid interns who have led research projects that are now being used to inform the public!”

The 10 selected recipients were awarded grants ranging from $9,500 to $30,000. In all, the program awarded nearly $204,000 to community organizations.

2022 grantees included Active San Gabriel Valley, Climate Action Santa Monica, Climate First: Replacing Oil & Gas, Columbia Memorial Space Center, Community Environmental Council, Grid Alternatives LA, Merito Foundation, Nyeland Promise, Pando Populus, and Sustainable Claremont.

Amy Butte, Manager of Climate Action Santa Monica (CASM), was excited for the opportunity to dedicate support to critical youth programs, as CASM received funding for the CASM Climate Corps program for education and workforce development, which annually provides broad training opportunities on global climate issues as well as local systems and actions.

“Climate Action Santa Monica is grateful to have been awarded a grant to support our Climate Corps youth program, which provides educational training for high school and college students to engage in local climate action and leadership,” said Butte.

Sid Matthew

Siddharth “Sid” Mathew serves as Project Manager, Settlements at Clean Power Alliance, where he supports accurate and efficient wholesale market settlements through data validation, discrepancy resolution, and contract performance review. He collaborates with internal teams and external partners to ensure settlement outcomes align with market activity and contractual requirements. Prior to joining Clean Power Alliance, Sid was a Senior Energy Analyst at Ascend Analytics, serving as lead analyst and primary client contact for modeling, valuation, and market analysis projects. His work included validating CAISO, MISO, and SPP market data; analyzing DA/RT prices, forward curves, and generation performance; and supporting PPA revenue assessment, curtailment analysis, and risk modeling. Earlier in his career, Sid worked at NERA Economic Consulting, where he conducted valuation, forecasting, and quantitative analysis for energy and infrastructure clients. Sid holds a master’s degree in economics from Sorbonne University in Paris and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and philosophy from Brown University.

Anthony Boukarim

Anthony Boukarim serves as Resource Planner, Power Supply, supporting long-term resource planning, portfolio optimization, and procurement strategy to advance CPA’s clean energy, reliability, and affordability objectives. He brings more than a decade of experience in the energy sector, spanning management consulting and advanced energy analytics, with deep expertise supporting utilities and community choice aggregators. Prior to joining CPA, Anthony spent six years at Ascend Analytics, where he led firm-wide renewable energy and storage procurement initiatives. He holds a Master of Science in Energy Resources Engineering from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from the American University of Beirut.

Kim Dunham

Kim joins Clean Power Alliance as the Senior Analyst, Rates and Tariffs. Kim is responsible for developing and maintaining CPA’s cost of service and rate models to evaluate the financial, competitiveness, and customer impacts of rate design and rate setting options. Kim held financial, strategy, and planning roles across utilities, consulting, and the energy sector, including roles with Black Hills Energy, Marathon Oil, and Noble Energy. This cross-sector background gives her a broad view of how financial modeling, regulatory strategy, and capital planning intersect to support growth, reliability, and environmental responsibility. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Wyoming.

Mark Hum

Mark Hum serves as Senior Associate, Communications and Marketing at Clean Power Alliance. He is a marketing and communications strategist with a background in medtech and life sciences, where he supported initiatives spanning multiple industries across both B2B and consumer-facing brands. His work is grounded in a copywriter’s mindset, starting with audience needs and translating complex ideas into clear, compelling stories that build trust and understanding. Mark has led integrated communications across digital, social, email, web, and stakeholder channels, with an emphasis on accessibility, consistency, and measurable impact. He brings a strong appreciation for structure and narrative, ensuring that every message serves a purpose and connects with people in a meaningful way. Mark holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB).

Pom Saengxuto

Prapassara “Pom” Saengxuto serves as Finance and Accounting Analyst at CPA. She is a Certified Public Accountant with over 20 years of experience in accounting and finance. Throughout her career, she has worked across a wide range of industries, including public accounting, private corporations, entertainment, manufacturing, consulting and construction. This diverse background allows her to bring a well-rounded and practical perspective to every engagement. Pom is known for her strong dedication, attention to detail, and commitment to accuracy. She works effectively both independently and as part of a team, consistently supporting organizations in making informed, strategic financial decisions. Her approach combines technical expertise with a deep sense of responsibility and professionalism.