The March 13 tour gave fellows a deeper understanding of GRID’s work across outreach, workforce development, and equitable access to clean energy, while opening the door to future connection and collaboration.
GRID Alternatives Southern California welcomed I-REN fellows to our Riverside office and facility for a tour and conversation about the work we do across Southern California. It was a chance to introduce the cohort to GRID in a fuller way, not just as a solar installer, but as an organization working at the intersection of clean energy access, workforce development, and community partnership.
I-REN, the Inland Regional Energy Network, serves Riverside and San Bernardino counties and was created to help reach communities that traditional utility programs often miss. Its work includes public-sector energy programs, support for codes and standards, and workforce education and training. That overlap made this visit especially meaningful. There is a natural connection between I-REN’s mission and GRID’s work to make clean energy more accessible and to create real pathways into the sector.
Jessica Sams, our Marketing Coordinator, spoke with GRID staff, I-REN staff, and Fellows throughout the visit. What came through in those conversations was how important it is for emerging professionals to see the clean energy field up close and to understand that there are many ways to contribute to this work.
GRID SoCal Deputy Director Cindy Corrales speaking to the I-REN fellows
Deputy Director Cindy Corrales spoke about the value of giving fellows a broad view of GRID’s role in the community and helping them think about where they might fit in the clean energy space. “The I-REN Fellows represent a very diverse and wide range of public agencies across Riverside and San Bernardino counties,” she said. “So I think this was a really great opportunity to talk about GRID and our work in the community and plant seeds for these IREN fellows to think about work in the clean energy space and what role they can play both at their respective agencies and in their careers.”
Director of Outreach Yoselyn Eckert also highlighted the long-term value of visits like this, especially when fellows return to agencies and communities where residents are already looking for trusted information and support. "It's important to develop partnerships and engage different parts of our community about the work that we do. Planting those seeds," she said. She also noted how important it is for fellows to carry that awareness back with them: “A lot of residents go to their local city, their local utility, the school district, they go there to look for resources. So even just having our flyer in the front reception area, or if one person at City Hall knows about this program is important, they can refer homeowners over and let them know that we exist.”
For Victoria Pacheco, Community Engagement Manager, the visit was also about relationship building. She spoke about the opportunity to connect with fellows in ways that could eventually lead to deeper partnerships with the public agencies they represent. That kind of connection matters. It helps GRID build trust in the region, and it helps Fellows become advocates for equitable clean energy solutions within their own departments and cities.
Several Fellows shared that the visit changed or deepened their understanding of GRID. Callie, an I-REN fellow with SBCOG and one of the cohort co-leads, said, “I understood GRID Alternatives as a solar installation company previously, but not as a company that engages with communities at every level in accessing clean energy.” She went on to say, “GRID is a much more dynamic nonprofit than the other solar contractors that I’ve met and worked with.” That shift in understanding was one of the most meaningful parts of the day. Fellows saw not only the technical side of the work, but the community engagement, outreach, and training that make it possible.
Callie also captured an important aspect of the way GRID approaches this work. “I think my hope was that people understand that solar isn’t just about solar panels on a roof, it’s about engaging people in equitable clean energy and what that means on a lot of different levels.” That perspective reflects so much of what we hope visitors take away when they spend time with our team.
I-REN fellows learning about solar installation safety from Neil Warren, GRID SoCals Workforce Training Manager, stood on our mock training roof at the Clean Tech Training Center area of the Riverside facility.
Elijah Steiner, a CivicSpark fellow hosted by Cucamonga Valley Water District, said he was struck by both the emphasis on safety and the broader mission behind the work. “We just had an explanation about the importance of safety when installing on roofs, and seeing the passion behind that was really cool,” he said. He also spoke about the importance of making sure lower-income communities are included in the clean energy transition, and the value of programs that help make that possible.
Giovanni, an I-REN energy fellow in his second term, pointed to something that stood out right away: how many GRID staff members began as Fellows themselves. “I think that’s something that stood out to me is how many GRID staff members were GRID Alternatives Fellows,” he said. “I feel like that’s a testament to how productive or how safe or how respectful or how much of a privilege it was working here.” He also noted the strength of GRID’s paid, hands-on training model and what it signals about the organization’s long-term investment in people.
That same theme resonated with Jennifer Agler, I-REN Energy Program Manager, who described these monthly tours as a way to expose fellows to work, spaces, and networks they would not otherwise experience through their host sites alone. “We go on a tour once a month, we take them somewhere and show them something they wouldn’t get to see otherwise. And give them the opportunity to network,” she said. GRID was a return visit for the cohort because last year’s experience landed so strongly. “We came to GRID last year, and they loved it, which is why we decided to do it again.”
Jennifer also spoke about how encouraging it was to hear that so many GRID fellows stay connected to the organization or find their way back to it. “It's important for Fellows to gain the experience, but we also want them to be able to find a place to be after,” she said. That is a big part of why visits like this matter. They help fellows see what is possible next.
We were glad to welcome the I-REN fellows back to Riverside and grateful for the opportunity to spend time with a cohort already doing meaningful work across the Inland Empire. It was energizing to share more about what GRID does, hear what stood out to them, and make space for the kinds of conversations that can lead to future collaboration. That is how this work grows: through relationships, trust, and people ready to carry it forward.