Environmental Justice

Washington D.C. just took a major step forward to advance climate action goals by increasing the renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to 50% by 2032. This means that 50% of all energy generation must come from renewable energy sources, which means more wind and more solar! Included in the bill is a 5% solar carve-out that includes a “Solar for All” program intended specifically for low-income households. This is where GRID Alternatives comes in. As the nation’s largest non-profit solar installer, we intend to help the District achieve its goals of helping 100,000 low-income households reduce electricity costs through solar and energy efficiency.

Independence has a unique meaning for Timbisha Shoshone tribal members...

When Richmond-resident Kirk Essler first heard about GRID in the local newspaper, he thought that solar at no cost for income-qualified families just sounded too good to be true. “I knew my house was perfect for solar,” he explained, “…but if something sounds like such a good deal, you have to be cautious. But I went ahead and applied – I had nothing to lose.”

Retired great-grandmother Gloria Williams knows first-hand about the changes in Silicon Valley: she has seen it all over the last 40 years she’s lived in her split-level home in the Belle Haven neighborhood of Menlo Park. This March, as millions across the globe celebrated International Women’s Month, Gloria wrote a new page in Belle Haven’s history as the first recipient of a GRID solar system.

Students celebrate spring break while learning about solar systems and the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe...

As we gear up for another busy year at GRID, we want to take a moment to reflect on and celebrate our success in 2015. Thanks to all of our supporters, homeowners, and volunteers, it has been an amazing year in the Bay Area! Here are a few key wins from 2015:

There is nothing more challenging than juggling in the rain. However, the rain did not dent the spirit of 39 University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) students in the first week of January 2016 as they worked tirelessly in the rain installing two solar systems in Madera, California.

Rose All Runner's grid-tied installation is part of a demonstration project, funded by a grant from the All Points North Foundation (APNF), to model sustainable energy development in Native American communities. The pilot includes solar installations for three families integrated with hands-on job training for up to 30 local tribal members in three different communities.

The counties that the Rosebud Sioux reservation encompasses are among the poorest in the nation, with unemployment rates as high as 83 percent, and as much as three quarters of the employed population still living under the poverty line. Winter is always the worst, with frigid temperatures, ice and snow limiting already-scarce work opportunities, and sending electricity bills skyrocketing. This year, though, a beacon of hope for some relief is taking shape in the form of a solar array on the home of tribal member Karen Spotted Tail.