Barr Foundation’s Post

🌟 Thrilled to announce Afterglow’s first loan to Green Energy Justice Cooperative, a pioneering project by Blacks In Green, a climate justice organization in #Chicago! 🌟 By joining this cooperative, subscribers gain co-ownership, a voice in management, and profit-sharing benefits. Project Manager Wasiu Adesope PMP® highlights the critical role of green energy credits in making projects like this financially viable. “I’ve seen disenfranchised communities that are usually at the receiving end of various programs where you have the imposition of models,” Adesope said in an article for Inside Climate News by Lydia Larsen. “But this model … every member has equal decision-making ability.” https://lnkd.in/gpumNGNi The Green Energy Justice Cooperative has taken cues from other energy cooperatives like #Minneapolis’ Cooperative Energy Futures, another Candide Group portfolio member. This model of community-driven energy projects initiated by and for the people who need them can spread control and ownership of clean energy resources to parts of the country hit first and hardest by climate change. Join us in celebrating this milestone towards energy justice and sustainable development! Naomi Davis James Pippim Neal Parikh Aner Ben-Ami #CleanEnergy #ClimateJustice #SustainableDevelopment #RenewableEnergy #CommunitySolar #EnergyEquity #BIPOC #GreenEnergy #Illinois #BlacksInGreen #AfterglowInvestments #EnergyJustice #SolarPower #CommunityDevelopment View our list of past specific recommendations for the last 12 months (https://lnkd.in/gNdn6YJ9). For more information about Candide, please see our Form ADV, Part 2A (https://lnkd.in/gTFF6dmD).

I’ve probably done more revisions on this LinkedIn post than the application itself, because I’ve been so at loss for words to explain what this Solar for All award means to me and for Georgia. Somehow, this has gone from a dream to a pilot program to a nine figure program in less than three years. It is exciting, encouraging, and overwhelming all at once. We don’t talk about this often in professional circles, but I think it is worth focusing a little attention on “the after” that follows a big accomplishment. After every announcement and celebration, there is the almost immediate question of “What now? What comes next?” When you invest so much time in a project and become so fixated on a result, it’s easy to believe that the satisfaction of this particular success will be all-consuming and silence that hunger to do more, but inevitably the world around you moves on and you’re left to choose whether to sit in that success or move along with everyone else, and inevitably the latter is easier. Change, particularly change that is moving toward equity, is hard. It demands all of you, and that makes the reinvigoration of a victory all the more important. So for now, I am making a deliberate effort to sit with a job well done and deciding for myself that I am enough, I am on the right path, and I must continue to fight. For everyone else doing good work for a better world, I hope this weekend is refreshing for you and that you too are choosing to sit with your success and remember that you are exactly what the world needs right now. #solarforall https://lnkd.in/eCVybXgY

As the largest municipal purchaser of green power in the nation — with more than 92% of the municipal electricity supply sourced from wind and solar — Houston has an ambitious goal to become "The Energy Transition Capital of the World." Climate Mayors’ Chair Emeritus, Mayor Sylvester Turner has been leading the charge toward a more resilient Houston, one that leverages the untapped potential of young people. Learn how the green economy is creating good, green jobs in Texas: https://lnkd.in/eGUpxsup

🌍 We're witnessing a transformative era in energy, and the recently completed Hazelwood Battery project in Victoria, Australia, stands as a shining example of this change. Spearheaded by ENGIE and Macquarie’s Green Investment Group, this project is not just about technological innovation; it's about redefining our approach to energy storage and sustainability. Located in the Latrobe Valley, the Hazelwood Battery—a robust 150 MW/150 MWh utility-scale system—was officially commissioned in June 2023. This pivotal development is equipped with Fluence’s groundbreaking Gridstack technology and consists of 342 Fluence Cubes, each a self-contained unit with all the necessary components for efficient energy storage. The operation of the Hazelwood Battery aligns perfectly with Victoria's progressive energy goals, aiming for 2.6 GW of battery storage by 2030 and 6.3 GW by 2035. As we head into the summer months, the battery’s role in grid stabilization and meeting peak energy demands is more crucial than ever, highlighting the importance of reliable, sustainable energy solutions in today's climate-conscious world. The success of the Hazelwood Battery not only underscores ENGIE’s commitment to innovative, green energy solutions but also sets a benchmark for what we can achieve globally. As we continue to face environmental challenges, projects like Hazelwood are beacons of progress, showing how integrated, sustainable technologies can significantly impact our energy systems and the environment. What are your thoughts on the growing role of large-scale battery storage in our global energy strategy? #Sustainability #RenewableEnergy #ENGIE #EnergyStorage #HazelwoodBattery #CleanEnergy #Australia #Innovation

Last Call: Access Capital for Clean Energy Projects Property owners, non-profit organizations and other eligible entities interested in supporting the State's clean energy transition with sites, projects, or assets can respond to a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) in the planned New Jersey Green Fund (NJGF). The NJGF will identify respondents interested in accessing at least $5 million in capital to advance clean energy generation and storage, zero-emission transportation, building decarbonization and resiliency, and other clean energy goals. Responses are due by January 12th, 2024. https://lnkd.in/e_HpYwvQ

The Climate Capital Forum applauds the news that Rest super fund, whose members are broadly retail employees, is making a $1billion commitment to invest in renewable energy projects backed by green energy group Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners. The investment will mainly be in #solar and #battery projects and green #datastorage centres, including Quinbrook’s Supernode green data campus in Brisbane – believed to be the largest in the southern hemisphere. "Climate change mitigation, the energy transition and the road to net zero are creating some great investment opportunities for our members. We represent more than a million members aged 30 or younger, who will retire after the year 2050,” Rest’s Chief Investment Officer Andrew Lill said about the investment. With recent news that hospitality fund HESTA is investing in renewables and green hydrogen and Aware Super is investing $2 billion in renewable projects managed by Birdwood Energy, we are finally seeing some of Australia's massive $3.5 TRILLION super assets -- one of the largest private #capital pension pools in the world -- being invested in homegrown decarbonising projects. CCF is calling on the government to reform APRA's MySuper Heatmap to measure funds’ performance against a Paris-aligned benchmark, pivoting the MySuper default to a lower-carbon index, requiring opt-in for higher carbon options. This fundamental change could unleash massive investment to help Australian companies meet the growing demand for refined rare earth minerals, batteries and other technologies in great demand internationally. Hats off to Rest, Hesta and Aware super funds for taking on the opportunity to support Australian low carbon innovation now!  Australian Prudential Regulation Authority #climateinvestment #renewablesindustry #superannuation https://lnkd.in/gJXiTVG8

They received how much??🤑 Chicago's Blacks in Green, led by Naomi Davis, secured a significant win of receiving $12.5 million in renewable energy credits to develop three community solar projects! 🌄 The projects, valued at $25.7 million, will be executed by the Green Energy Justice Cooperative, a collaboration initiated by Blacks in Green and partners. These projects aim to benefit under-resourced communities in Aurora, Naperville, and Romeoville, Illinois. The Green Energy Justice Cooperative, launched in 2022, focuses on providing low-income communities of color with ownership of energy generation. 💡 Renters, condominium owners, and homeowners unable to install solar will be co-owners, promoting community engagement and shared profits. Davis emphasizes the organization's commitment to expanding clean energy businesses, decarbonizing buildings, and creating strong communities against climate change. 🌞💚 Read more about it here: https://hubs.ly/Q02gQ-GP0 #CleanEnergy #CommunitySolar #Sustainability #RenewableEnergyCredits

GOLDBECK SOLAR North America and our partner AREA are excited to announce the successful completion of Nova Scotia's largest utility-scale solar farms Mahone Bay and Berwick. These milestones mark a significant stride towards sustainable energy in the province. • Mahone Bay is expected to power around 260 homes annually. • Berwick solar farm is anticipated to power approximately 543 homes with green energy, significantly reducing reliance on non-renewable energy sources. Both projects stand as testaments to innovation and commitment to sustainable energy. They represent a significant step towards a greener future for Nova Scotia and reinforce the collective effort to combat climate change. These initiatives exemplify AREA's and GOLDBECK SOLAR's comprehensive approach to managing the entire project value chain, from site selection and planning, to financing, ensuring the seamless execution of these groundbreaking solar farms. 👉 https://lnkd.in/eYP8nfwJ #RenewableEnergy #SustainableEnergy #SolarPower #CleanEnergy #Innovation #AREA

So here's a conundrum - #Vermont is likely to have a new, aggressive renewable energy requirement on the books soon, pushing my home state to 100% renewable energy with a significant in-state generation component. Super exciting, right? And as a community solar developer with over 120 projects under our belts, mostly in the Green Mountain State, Green Lantern Solar knows that development scale means a LOT to Vermonters. I'm 100% supportive of small-scale, in-state generation that is part of the circular local regenerative economy. And yet there is some 100MW of large (>20MWac) scale solar currently being proposed by big out-of-state companies that are going to wheel the power OUT of Vermont to utilities in Massachusettts and Connecticut so those companies can meet their own states' renewable goals. The VT PUC has approved similarly situated large generation facilities located in Vermont in the past under the rationale that Vermonters benefit from the regional generation of renewable energy (which is per se true, but a pretty slim argument nonetheless). So what will Vermont do to encourage private investment by local developers to build projects here in Vermont, that actually serve Vermonters, at a scale that makes sense? What if anything will Vermont do to incentivize dual use #agrivoltaics projects and #brownfield redevelopment? That all remains to be seen, and I'm cautiously optimistic despite the Scott Administration's failure to fully embrace renewables despite a clear mandate to do so. Time for the Executive branch in Vermont to lead, follow or get out of the way.

Through collaboration among property owners, managers, and local stakeholders, the Pittsburgh 2030 District aims to achieve reach a 50-65% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, with the goal of reaching zero emissions by 2040. Environment+Energy Leader shares the latest updates from the PGH 2030 Districts Network. In 2023, local participants and partners "achieved significant milestones, including a 22.3% reduction in energy usage, translating to $60.5 million in energy utility savings, and a 39.4% reduction in water usage."