GRID Alternatives Inland Empire proudly celebrated the completion of the final solar installation under the Transformative Climate Communities Riverside grant, also known as the Eastside Climate Collaborative. This milestone marks the successful conclusion of GRID IE’s residential solar work in Riverside’s historic Eastside neighborhood through the Energy for All program.
Between the fall of 2021 and the fall of 2025, GRID IE completed 58 residential solar installations totaling 290 kilowatts of clean energy capacity. These systems now provide long-term environmental and economic benefits to Eastside families, while supporting the broader goals of the TCC Riverside initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance community-led climate resilience.
The Eastside Climate Collaborative is a community-driven plan focused on improving environmental health, mobility, housing, and access to clean energy in one of Riverside’s oldest and largest residential neighborhoods. The Eastside neighborhood has been a central part of Riverside since its founding in 1870 and remains primarily residential, with many homes built before the 1950s. Its deep roots in Riverside’s citrus industry and its collection of historic landmarks make it a neighborhood with both a rich past and a strong sense of identity.
GRID IE construction staff installing solar on the roof of the Sanchez family.
Through the Energy for All program, GRID IE partnered with the City of Riverside to expand access to rooftop solar for income-qualified households in the Eastside. These installations help reduce household energy costs while increasing local renewable energy generation, ensuring that residents of a historically underserved community can directly benefit from California’s clean energy transition.
To mark the completion of the final installation, GRID IE hosted a Solar Celebration at the Sanchez family's home, where the last system was installed. Community members, local leaders, and partners gathered to recognize the collective effort that made this project possible and to celebrate the families whose homes now generate clean energy.
Erica Lomeli, Outreach Coordinator, Yoselyn Ekert, Outreach Manager, and Victoria Pacheco, Community Development Officer, speaking at the event.
GRID IE Outreach Manager Yoselyn Ekert and Community Development Officer Victoria Pacheco spoke at the event, reflecting on the scope and significance of the work completed through TCC Riverside. They highlighted the sustained commitment required to carry out the project from planning through installation over multiple years. They emphasized the importance of strong collaboration between residents, the City of Riverside, and community-based partners. Their remarks underscored how trust-building, consistent outreach, and responsiveness to neighborhood needs were central to the program’s success.
Top: GRID IE Construction team. Bottom, from left to right: Neil Warren, Sr Solar Installation Training Officer, Victoria Pacheco, Community Development Officer, Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes, and Erica Lomeli, Outreach Coordinator.
Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes, who represents Ward 2, where the Eastside neighborhood is located, attended the celebration alongside Melanie Bruns Lahay, her Legislative Field Representative. Councilmember Cervantes presented certificates of recognition to the Sanchez family in acknowledgment of their participation in the program, and separately to GRID Alternatives Inland Empire for its dedication to serving the Eastside community through the TCC grant.
Additional certificates of recognition were presented by Toni Rosales from the Office of Assemblywoman Leticia Castillo, representing California State Assembly District 58, and by Colin Markovich, Senior District Representative from the Office of Senator Sabrina Cervantes, Senate District 31. Each office recognized both the Sanchez family and GRID IE for their role in advancing clean energy access and community-centered climate action in Riverside.
GRID IE Staff with the homeowner, and invited VIP guests.
Several City of Riverside partners were also in attendance to celebrate the project’s completion, including Agripina Neubauer, Project Manager for the City of Riverside; Melissa Williams from the City of Riverside; and Bill Brown from Riverside Public Utilities. Their presence reflected the strong cross-agency collaboration that supported the Eastside Climate Collaborative and ensured the successful delivery of solar installations throughout the neighborhood.
The completion of TCC Riverside represents more than the installation of solar systems. It reflects years of coordinated effort to bring meaningful, tangible benefits to Eastside residents while honoring the neighborhood’s history and character. By integrating rooftop solar into an area with many older homes and long-standing families, GRID IE helped ensure that climate investments reached those who have often been excluded from clean energy opportunities.
While the TCC Riverside grant has officially concluded, the impact of this work will continue for decades through reduced energy costs, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and increased energy resilience for participating households. GRID Alternatives Inland Empire remains committed to working with local governments and community partners to expand access to clean energy solutions and to support neighborhood-driven climate initiatives throughout the Inland Empire.
GRID IE extends its gratitude to the Eastside families who welcomed us into and onto their homes, to the City of Riverside and public agency partners who supported this work, and to the elected officials and staff who joined in celebrating this milestone. Together, these collective efforts demonstrate what is possible when community vision and climate action move forward hand in hand.