EBCE and Renewable Energy Partners Announce 3rd Round of COVID Relief Grants to Power the Clean Energy Workforce in California

Oct 14, 2020

EBCE and Renewable Energy Partners Announce 3rd Round of COVID Relief Grants to Power the Clean Energy Workforce in California

$2 million given by EBCE to local charities since March

Oakland, Calif. (October 14, 2020) – East Bay Community Energy’s (EBCE) third and latest round of COVID-19 community grants were announced today to jumpstart new careers in California’s energy sector and support critical training in the workforce.

Twenty local charitable organizations (listed below) were allocated $10,000 each, and an additional $100,000 in grants were given to three workforce development organizations across Alameda County. The funds were allocated by EBCE’s renewable energy development partners. EDP Renewables North America – developers of a 100MW solar + 30MW storage project in Fresno County – provided $275,000 and Clearway Energy Group – developers of a 192MW solar project in Kern County – provided $25,000, following the $225,000 they provided for the previous round of grants.

“EDP Renewables is proud to work with EBCE to support the long-term viability of local communities,” said Miguel Prado, CEO at EDP Renewables North America. “We remain committed to responding to community needs during this unprecedented time. Throughout the pandemic, we continue to see local leadership forming around renewable energy projects that are powering the workforce of our future. EDPR stands ready to provide reliable clean energy for decades to come, while providing critical support for the workforce that we need today.”

“One of the most rewarding aspects of working in the renewable energy industry is the deep-rooted commitment to the communities where we live and operate,” said Patrick Sullivan, vice president of development at Clearway Energy Group. “We’re proud that through this partnership with EBCE, Clearway can support so many incredible organizations providing critical community services in these difficult times.”

GRID Alternatives, Cypress Mandela, and the Tri-Valley Career Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District (TVCC) will each be awarded ~$33,000 in grant funds to complement their workforce development efforts. With training locations in Oakland and Union City, respectively, GRID Alternatives and Cypress Mandela will each use the funds to work with EBCE and Sunrun to help fill the local workforce needed to deploy solar and battery backup power systems through EBCE’s Resilient Home program. TVCC will use the funds to help build its capacity to reach new COVID-impacted job seekers through the development of a new marketing plan, a Job Search Boot Camp, and a Boot Camp Refresher.

In addition to the funding of these near-term actions, EBCE also looks forward to establishing long-term partnerships with these organizations to further develop the local workforce that will be needed to implement ongoing transportation and building electrification programs, as well as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and resiliency programs.

Recipients of $10,000 grants this round:

Arsola’s Distribution Center and Community Services
Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS)
CityServe of the Tri-Valley
Downtown Streets Team
Eden United Church of Christ
Family Resource Navigators
Fred Finch Youth & Family Services
Global Communication Education & Art (GCEA)
Kitchen to Ward (Affiliated to E Biz Solutions Inc.)
La Clinica de La Raza, Inc
Owning My Own Truth Inc.
San Leandro Boys & Girls Club
Senior Support Program
Sister to Sister 2, Inc. dba Serenity House
Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center
Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank and Thrift Store
Tri-Valley Haven for Women
Trybe Inc.
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals Foundation
Viola Blythe Community Service Center

“We thank our partners EDPR and Clearway Energy Group for their work in developing clean renewable energy in California and for their commitment to supporting Alameda County with these generous funds,” said EBCE CEO Nick Chaset.

More information about EBCE’s COVID-19 relief efforts is available at https://ebce.org/covid-19-response/

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About East Bay Community Energy (EBCE)

EBCE is a not-for-profit public agency that operates a Community Choice Energy program for Alameda County and eleven incorporated cities, serving more than 550,000 residential and commercial customers throughout the county. EBCE initiated service in June 2018 and will expand to the cities of Pleasanton, Newark, and Tracy in 2021. As one of 19 community choice aggregation (CCA) programs operating in California, EBCE is part of the movement to expedite the climate action goals of their communities and those of California. EBCE is committed to providing clean power at competitive rates while reinvesting in our local communities. For more information about East Bay Community Energy, visit ebce.org.

About Clearway Energy Group

Clearway Energy Group is accelerating the world’s transformation to a clean energy future. With more than 4.7 gigawatts of wind, solar, and energy storage assets in 25 states and a development pipeline across the country, we are offsetting the equivalent of nearly 8 million metric tons of carbon emissions for our customers. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, CA with offices in Carlsbad, CA; Scottsdale, AZ; and Houston, TX. For more information, visit clearwayenergygroup.com.

About EDP Renewables North America

EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) and its subsidiaries develop, construct, own, and operate wind farms and solar parks throughout North America. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, with 53 wind farms, eight solar parks, and seven regional offices across North America, EDPR NA has developed more than 7,500 megawatts (MW) and operates more than 7,200 MW of renewable energy projects. With more than 700 employees, EDPR NA’s highly qualified team has a proven capacity to execute projects across the continent. For more information, visit www.edprnorthamerica.com or www.edpr.com.

CONTACT

Dan Lieberman

925-579-1591

dlieberman@ebce.org