Total of $325,000 in funding is available for local nonprofit organizations to advance clean energy goals
LOS ANGELES — Clean Power Alliance (CPA) is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the 2024 Community Benefits Grant. The grant program, a partnership between CPA and Calpine Community Energy, has once again increased funding to support local nonprofit organizations working to advance clean energy goals within CPA’s service area. This year, $325,000 in funding will be made available to 12 to 15 organizations – the largest amount since the grant was launched in 2021. Last year, $288,000 was distributed to 12 organizations throughout Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
“CPA is focused on efforts to help make Southern California resilient and more sustainable through our diverse customer programs, clean energy options, or community investments,” said Ted Bardacke, CEO of Clean Power Alliance. “We continue to work closely with nonprofit organizations as they have insight into what is most needed to successfully advance local sustainability efforts. This grant provides a direct way to support the wellbeing of the communities we serve.”
The Community Benefits Grant is open to organizations and projects focused on advancing clean energy, sustainability, and resiliency through four pathways: 1) Research 2) Education 3) Environmental and Social Justice Communities 4) Workforce Development.
The grant application period is open from Aug. 6 through Sept. 13, 2024. Grants ranging from $15,000 to $30,000 will be awarded. Eligible nonprofits must be working within at least one of the 35 communities CPA serves throughout Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
“Year after year, the Community Benefits Grant program continues to develop long-term partnerships with community-based organizations doing amazing work in the CPA community,” said Josh Brock, Vice President of Commercial Operations for Calpine Community Energy. “We’re honored to not only support our CCA partners but also the communities they serve by continuing to sponsor this program. Calpine Community Energy is pleased to create a funding opportunity that highlights the work of local community organizations while enhancing the positive impact Clean Power Alliance has on its local communities.”
Last year’s grant recipients included Climate First: Replacing Oil & Gas (CFROG), 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.
Organizations have utilized their grants to fund diverse projects. For example, USGBC developed a certificate program 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.
LARC is creating a Clean Energy Education Campaign to better educate the public in the greater Los Angeles region about the benefits of clean energy and promote more sustainable energy usage.
The Merito Foundation is advancing energy literacy and green workforce development opportunities for Ventura Unified School District students.
CFROG’s grant is funding workforce development efforts to increase career exploration and community awareness of opportunities within the green industry.
“The workforce development efforts funded by this community benefits grant have helped our Ventura County residents, especially young people and communities disproportionately impacted by fossil fuel operations, begin pathways in emerging competitive green industry jobs,” said Haley Ehlers, CFROG’s Executive Director.
Interested nonprofit organizations can learn more about the grant requirements and apply by visiting www.cleanpoweralliance.org/cbg. CPA will host an informational webinar on Aug. 14, from 1 pm to 2 pm (PST), to further share grant details. Those interested in attending the webinar can find information on the grant webpage.
CPA also invests in the communities it serves through numerous programs that provide customers with access to cost-savings as well as energy-saving opportunities that create healthier communities by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating green jobs. Learn more at CleanPowerAlliance.org/programs.
About Clean Power Alliance — Founded in 2017, Clean Power Alliance is the locally operated not-for-profit electricity provider for 33 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 the number one green power provider in the United States. CPA serves approximately three million residents and businesses, providing clean renewable energy at competitive rates. To view CPA’s 2023 Impact Report, click here. For complete information regarding CPA visit http://www.cleanpoweralliance.org.
About Calpine Community Energy — Calpine Community Energy is the premier provider of data management and customer contact center services for Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) agencies. For over a decade, Calpine has been a trusted business and thought partner serving 21 operating CCAs and managing customer data and billing operations for over 5.5 million meters across the state. As part of a Fortune 500 company, Calpine Community Energy’s best-in-class back-office services help guide CCA partners from initial program launch through mass enrollment phases and continue to evolve alongside their CCA partners. 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.