For immediate release
Contact: Wanda Heard, Sr. Public Relations and Advocacy Manager
GRID Alternatives
wheard@gridalternatives.org
510. 877.5795
January 9, 2025, Oakland, CA GRID Alternatives (GRID), a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing economic and environmental justice through renewable energy initiatives, and six other nonprofits working in Puerto Rico, have been awarded a $20 million grant by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Community Change grant to address climate resilience in Puerto Rico. The program - A Collaborative Approach to Climate Resilience for Puerto Rico through Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Natural Resource Restoration - is a part of the $2 billion in environmental and climate justice activities to benefit disadvantaged communities through various projects, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate changes.
GRID Alternatives will serve as the lead organization in this program. The coalition partners include PathStone Corporation, Resilient Power Puerto Rico, Solar Responders, Por Los Nuestros, Justicia Energetica, and Para La Naturaleza. The program will directly benefit seven municipalities in Puerto Rico, including Ceiba, Naguabo, Humacao, Juncos, Las Piedras, Yabucoa, and Maunabo over a 3-year period. "We are grateful to be one of the recipients of the EPA Community Change grant while collaborating with the partners mentioned above," says Jenean Smith, VP International Program. "This grant supports the collaborative work of 7 nonprofits working in Puerto Rico to boost workforce development and increase resilience to climate-related disasters through electrification, energy efficiency, and solar plus storage deployment.”
The high-level scope of work funded by this grant is divided into three categories:
Solar Installation
- Solar + storage for 50 community resilient hubs, including 43 community centers and seven fire stations
- 50 energy efficiency audits
- 50 $1,000.00 electrification vouchers to upgrade appliances
- Enabling upgrades for solar buildings to be solar-ready
Workforce Development Training
- 240 people trained in GRID's Installations Basic Training 120 Program
- 24 $6,000.00 scholarships for ongoing education in the electrical field
- 240 people trained in PathStone Corporation's workforce programs
Restoration
- Planting 10,000 mangrove and native tree species in Medio, Mundo, and Daguao in Ceiba and Ines, Maria, and Mendoza in Yabucoa
The Community Change Grant will find community-driven projects in Puerto Rico that address climate challenges and reduce pollution while strengthening communities through thoughtful implementation. This historic level of support will enable communities and their partners to overcome long-standing environmental challenges and implement meaningful solutions to meet community needs now and for future generations.
About GRID Alternatives
GRID Alternatives is an international, U.S.-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that builds community-powered solutions to advance economic and environmental justice through renewable energy. GRID works in the U.S., Mexico, Nepal, and Nicaragua and has installed solar photovoltaic systems on more than 29,500 homes and affordable housing developments in underserved communities while providing more than 33,200 individuals with workforce development training. GRID also provides clean mobility solutions and battery storage and is a leading voice in low-income solar policy development in the U.S. Installation Basics Training (IBT), a competency-based certificate program designed to develop the skills most relevant to entry-level solar installation jobs and related construction employment fields. Trainees learn solar installation skills, OSHA 10 safety standards, first aid and CPR, and soft skills, including interpersonal communication and dependability, to help job trainees obtain and sustain employment.
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