GRID Alternatives Colorado Partners with Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver and the City and County of Denver to Host a Women in Energy Build Event

September 17, 2024, Oakland CA  GRID Alternatives Colorado (GRID) is partnering with Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver and the City & County of Denver to host a Women in Energy (WE) Build event on Thursday,  September 19, and Friday, September 20, 9 am - 3 pm at 430 S. Navajo Street; Denver, CO 80223. During the two-day event, 100 women-identifying leaders from the renewable energy industry will help install a no-cost solar system at Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver's new headquarters building. 

Female participation in the energy sector is significantly lower than that of the broader economy. From founders and C-suite positions to entrepreneurs and skilled labor, women comprise only 25 percent of workers in the energy sector and 32 percent of the renewable energy workforce despite representing 46.8 percent of the U.S. workforce overall. The renewable and solar industries remain male-dominated in the U.S. Full participation of women in the clean energy sector is critical.

"GRID's WE Build event showcases and celebrates the women leaders in our renewable energy industry who are building a future that benefits everyone," says Margaret Kra, GRID Denver Office Executive Director. "GRID believes that everyone must contribute to building a world powered by renewable energy that benefits everyone. That is why we are working to build accessible pathways for women to enter and thrive in careers in the trades and renewable energy," added Kral.

The WE Build no-cost solar installation, funded by the City and County of Denver Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency office, supports Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver and exemplifies how GRID Alternatives is working to build an equitable renewable energy industry that benefits everyone. The WE Build event will showcase the importance of building equitable pathways to technical and trade careers for women, highlight the voices of women of color in the industry, and convene national leaders to support renewable energy workforce diversity. 

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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.