Clean Power Alliance (CPA) and Calpine Energy Solutions are excited to announce the recipients of the third annual Community Benefits Grant program, with funding awarded to non-profit organizations located in CPA’s service area to advance clean energy, green jobs, environmental education and stewardship, and energy equity and diversity within Southern California communities.
The grant recipients for this year are – Climate First: Replacing Oil & Gas; Columbia Memorial Space Center; Friends of the Los Angeles River, Grid Alternatives LA; LA Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability (LARC); Merito Foundation; Oxnard Performing Arts Center; Pando Populus; Santa Monica Mountains Foundation; Tree People; U.S. Green Business Council (USGBC); and the Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF).
The Community Benefits Grant is an innovative partnership between CPA and Calpine Energy Solutions, CPA’s customer support and billing services provider, with 2% of the value of CPA’s contract with Calpine being reinvested back to support community-focused programs.
The 12 non-profit awardees for 2023-2024 are located throughout Los Angeles and Ventura counties and receive grants ranging from $20,000 to $30,000 from the over $280,000 in available funds.
Gina Goodhill, CPA’s Senior Director of Government Affairs, believes that this grant program is effective because of the focus on amazing renewable energy projects that truly have a positive impact on local communities.
“We’re proud to once again provide local community organizations with funding to advance their work on clean energy, sustainability and resiliency,” said Gina Goodhill, “The projects that received funding will impact thousands of individuals throughout the many diverse communities we serve.”
The grants are awarded to non-profits that advance energy-related programs, and also show a commitment to disadvantaged communities, local energy equity and diversity programs, and sustainability initiatives.
Calpine Energy Solutions awards the program funding, while CPA develops the grant guidelines and helps recruit local nonprofit organizations to apply for the funding, with both organizations then working together to assess the applications and choose awardees.
The Community Benefits Grant launched in 2021 with $75,000 in funding and has grown each year. For 2022, the 10 selected recipients were awarded grants ranging from $9,500 to $30,000, with a total grant award of nearly $204,000.
The next call for Community Benefits Grant program applications will take place during the third quarter of 2024.
