Community Power Accelerator Hubs Deliver Energy Justice
CIC Energy is a catalyst for community solar expansion—an agent of impactful change in marginalized communities. Community solar relieves the financial burden placed on low- and medium-income households, provides local grid resilience, and stimulates economic activity in economically and racially underserved communities.
CIC Energy, in collaboration with its partner organizations and sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE), is leading the charge to advance adoption of solar PV and storage , training a critical infrastructure workforce to meet the supply gaps in human resources (trades skills), and meeting the explosive demand for new energy within communities in need of energy justice.
Community Power Accelerator Hubs: A Framework for “Resilience Hub and Critical Infrastructure Training Center” Build on Experience and Collective Enhancement Across the Nation, the Globe.
CIC Energy was an inaugural member as both a registered developer and financial sponsor of the National Community Solar Partnership (NCSP), an initiative led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office. At the end of 2021, through 2022 and currently Team Impact’s energy and environmentally focused coalition continues to expand. On May 5th, CIC Energy was announced the American Made Prize Phase I award, and notably the lone winner in Texas.
Community Leader and Environmental Advocate Hilton Kelley notes, ” The time for Port Arthur, TX and rural disadvantage communities the like are open to receive all available benefits to the community through our Power Accelerators, with the Alpha site soon to be a showcase to give hands on demonstrations within the heart of the community.” Through DOE, SEIN, SETO and HARC, our energy coalition has cerainly gained momentum as noted the 13th of June with a visit from the Secretary of Energy, https://twitter.com/SecGranholm
A Texas Size Challenge for Community Solar
Texas is not exactly fertile ground for planning a community solar opportunity. Granted, Texas is a renewable energy leader in wind and has been since T Boone Pickens and Skelly days. Aside from wind, the Lone Star State ranked #2 national in 2022[i] powered, powers almost 2M homes, however, the state only generates less than 5% from solar PV in the TX grid. This is a TEXAS SIZE OPPORTUNITY! The state further boasts 617 companies with 99 manufacturers, 243 installers/developers, and almost 300 outliers performing various energy efficient and related services.
As of 2022, Texas claimed $20B in solar investments, meanwhile the price has fallen 53% over the past decade. Hold on folks, modest projections place Texas as #1 in solar power generation and forecast an increase to 34GW over next five years. Solar PV is a Texas Size Opportunity indeed, but will the Texas legislature address the opportunity or continue to subsidize dinosaurs?
Today is the day to realize the national goal of 30% solar PV generation in the United States by 2030. While this will never happen, let’s enable communities that need it most to capitalize and save given they bear the biggest burden, and in Port Arthur, their health continues to suffer.
Team Impact Continues to Exceed Milestones Towards Equitable Energy
Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that all 10 teams participating in the inaugural American-Made Community Clean Energy Coalition (CCEC) Prize successfully completing Phase Two and will each be awarded $150,000 in cash prizes. Team Impact pioneer member Garry’s team ReBuildATL Coalition headquartered in Atlanta, GA, but with community solar projects in Virginia and other Eastern States we applaud the Team’s continued success across the nation – especially as we collaborate and coordinate to bring the best practices to Texas
In service of this initiative, the DOE is sponsoring the upcoming Energy Justice to the People Roadshow that will make a stop in Port Arthur on June 13, 2023. Register TODAY and be a part of the solution, be a Change Agent! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/energy-justice-to-the-people-roadshow-port-arthur-tx-tickets-634947213207
This day-long event will kick-off with a speech by the United States Secretary of Energy. The first half of the day will focus on a series of DOE-led presentations on topics including Energy Justice, BIL & IRA funding, clean energy workforce development, community voice in infrastructure projects, and available home and neighborhood investments.
The second half of the day will bring together experts and leaders from across the Federal Government and local community—including the White House, elected officials, community leaders, and the DOE.
Team Impact is a Coalition of Energy Advocates Aligned by a Shared Mission, Dedicated to Advancing the US Energy Transition
CIC Energy, along with the Houston Advanced Resource Center (HARC), Community In-Power and Development Association, Inc. (CIDA), Mills Agriculture & Renewable Energy, LLC (MARE), and the Center for Sustainable Communities (CSC), make up Team Impact. Our Impact aims to modernize community grids and increase solar workforce capacity within historically underserved communities by developing a community solar portfolio in Port Arthur, TX.
Port Arthur, TX
Port Arthur, is a an ideal showcase, with 25% of Port Arthur’s residents below the poverty line. The community is primarily African American, followed by Hispanic communities with unemployment rate historically 2x below the state average. As a refinery mecca, Port Arthur is plagued by environmental pollution that has largely been ignored by authorities and corporations that caused it Team Impact focuses on Port Arthur’s communities in the most need and the most affected by socioeconomic, as well as racial disparities and environmental contamination. The time is now to counter this history of environmental, climate, and racial injustice and deliver residents new economic opportunities. Join us on June 13, 2023 and let our collective voices resonate loudly! Onward and Upward!!!
From ISD CTE Training to Community Led Solar Camps in West Port Arthur, TX – Education of Direct Benefits is Key
From Texas two-step to homegrown Innovation in Austin, TX, we are prepared to stabilize the TX Grid. At the lead of this energy transition are companies like Yotta Energy. Their product suite is sweet and rich with service-centric solutions and a range of distributed energy technologies to convert buildings into their own solar power plants.
Yotta Energy specializes in the commercial, industrial, and multifamily spaces; bringing the most affordable, advanced, and safest solar + storage + EV charging solutions to the market
[i] SEIA – https://www.seia.org/states-map
IREC Solar Career Map https://www.irecsolarcareermap.org