Last week, GRID Mid-Atlantic Executive Director Nicole Steele moderated a panel discussion at the 45th Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference on Ensuring Solar Access in Underserved Communities- Successful Models and National Opportunities. Solar power can have significant benefits for low-income communities \u2013 long-term energy cost savings for families; a source of clean, locally-generated power that can improve community resiliency; and living wage jobs.<\/p>\n
The panel brought together Jacqui Patterson, Director of the Environmental and Climate Justice Program at the NAACP; Melanie Santiago-Mosier, Government Affairs Director for Southeast and Midwest for SunEdison; George Nichols, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at D.C. Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU); and Harry T. Spikes II, Deputy District Director for the Office of Congressman Elijah E. Cummings to talk about different ways communities can access and reap the benefits of the growing solar economy.<\/p>\n
The District of Columbia is a great example. Last year, D.C. implemented a rebate program (Solar Advantage Plus Program) to incentivize solar adoption in lower income communities, supporting the installation of 137 systems in 2015 including 18 installed by GRID. “When you talk about solar and bringing it to your community, you have to involve your suppliers, contractors, regulatory agencies and utilities and be very collaborative with each other,\u201d said DCSEU\u2019s Nichols.<\/p>\n
The partnership between SunEdison and GRID Alternatives, RISE, is model for bringing solar training opportunities into underserved communities and helping people access jobs. “Solar drives access to local, living wage jobs,\u201d said Ms. Santiago-Mosier, noting that solar jobs are accessible to people without advanced degrees and pay significantly more than other entry-level jobs.<\/p>\n
The NAACP has been very active in recent years in supporting state and local policies that increase access to solar and support widespread adoption, and earlier this year Ms. Patterson joined the board of GRID Alternatives Mid-Atlantic to help put those policies into practice. “We are advancing opportunities for low income affordable access and leadership in the new energy economy,\u201d said Ms. Patterson of her work with the NAACP.<\/p>\n
The audience at the Friday afternoon event was small but engaged, eager to learn ways to get involved with solar in their own communities. Mr. Spikes left the audience with three key takeaways: “Affordability, legislation, and jobs.”<\/p>\n
“You can change so many lives so quickly with good policy,\u201d he said.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Last week, GRID Mid-Atlantic Executive Director Nicole Steele moderated a panel discussion at the 45th Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference on Ensuring Solar Access in Underserved Communities- Successful Models and National Opportunities. <\/p>","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":3148,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[],"audience":[],"content-type":[12],"focus-area":[22,75],"region":[],"series":[],"content-author":[],"class_list":["post-3147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-policy-advocacy","content-type-news","focus-area-policy","focus-area-policy-advocacy"],"acf":{"hero_media_type":"image","hero_media_image":null,"hero_media_url":"","hero_media_poster":null,"hero_video_play":"inline","related_stories":null,"pattern_override":null,"story_callouts":null,"media":null,"featured_blog_post":null,"featured_event":null,"pdf_download":null,"blockquote":null,"author":null,"notice":null,"social_embed":null,"contact_card":null,"meta_details":null,"faq":null,"table":null},"yoast_head":"\n