"I am so grateful for this opportunity. More importantly - it's a win-win-win for everybody," said Theresa Jones, homeowner in Baltimore City, after just having solar installed on her home. Ms. Jones addressed a crowd of people gathered in her backyard, all huddled under tents in order to stay out of the summer’s blazing sun.
Ms. Jones’ solar installation was the site of a Memorandum of Understanding signing by the City of Baltimore, Maryland Clean Energy Center, and the US Department of Energy (US DOE) to commit to finding long-term solutions for financing low-income solar in Baltimore. GRID Alternatives was thrilled to host the occasion marking this important step in making solar energy accessible to everyone. “The purpose is to work collaboratively to establish Baltimore as a clean energy hub,” said David Foster of the US Department of Energy.
Many different partners came out to Ms. Jones’ house to commemorate the event. The volunteers putting the solar on the roof were from Baltimore Energy Challenge. Department of Energy interns from Coppin State University, Morgan State University, and Bowie State University attended the event to learn about the solar installation process along with a group of Morgan Summer Youth Workers. The speakers included Baltimore Mayor Rawlings-Blake, Representative Cummings and Representative Sarbanes, Alice Kennedy from Baltimore City, David Foster of the Department of Energy, and Wyatt Schiflett of the Maryland Clean Energy Center.
This Memorandum of Understanding is an important step forward for environmental justice in Baltimore. “Today we are making a commitment to not leave anyone behind," said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. “We want to prove that the clean energy revolution includes everyone,” said David Foster of the DOE. In addition to making solar energy more readily available to low-income households, this agreement also commits to providing young people the opportunity to step into careers in the clean energy industry. “Another win is it creates jobs,” said Congressman Cummings.
Ms. Jones’ home was one of GRID’s 31 solar installs, as part of an agreement between GRID Alternatives, the US DOE, the City of Baltimore, Baltimore Energy Challenge, Coppin State University, Bowie State University, and Morgan State University to bring solar to the low-income families in the Morgan Community Mile and surrounding the HBCUs in Baltimore. This MOU takes that commitment a step forward, and proves that Baltimore City is ready to embrace solar as a universal source of clean energy.
See photos from the event here.
