Sunrun announced four environmental justice initiatives to expand access to solar and its benefits. The efforts include advocating for more social equity in solar policies, removing financial barriers to solar and hiring from disadvantaged communities.
“Sunrun’s mission is to create a planet run by the sun,” said Lynn Jurich, Sunrun’s CEO and co-founder. “We’re working with leading non-profit organizations around the country to ensure no one is left behind as we build the clean energy future.”
Sunrun Environmental Justice Partnerships:
Blacks in Green, Chicago – Sunrun and Blacks in Green (BIG), an environmental economic development organization designed to tackle pollution and poverty in Chicago’s underserved communities, are continuing to work together for a second consecutive year. Sunrun is excited to partner with BIG to expand career opportunities in the growing solar industry. Sunrun and BIG will work together to expand access to no-cost solar programs for income-eligible families through the Illinois Solar for All Program.
Grid Alternatives – Sunrun is nearing its 10th year partnering with GRID Alternatives, a national nonprofit leader in making renewable energy technology and job training accessible to underserved communities. In 2019 alone, Sunrun and GRID installed 5 MW of solar for 1,178 low-income families, which will provide $25 million in lifetime savings. Sunrun and GRID are offering 100% free battery systems to low-income customers in wildfire-prone regions of California this year to provide much-needed backup power when the grid is down. The batteries are funded through California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) Equity Resiliency Budget.
Rising Sun Center for Opportunity – Sunrun is partnering with the Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, an Oakland-based non-profit building career pathways for economic equity and climate resilience. From Oakland to Stockton and the Central Valley, the organization serves as a green training, employment, and residential energy efficiency organization grounded in equity. Sunrun is also exploring opportunities to hire from Rising Sun’s Opportunity Build program, which provides free construction job training and placement to adults facing barriers to employment.
WEACT – Sunrun is partnering with WEACT for Environmental Justice, a nationally recognized Northern Manhattan based organization that advocates for fair environmental health policies for people of color and low-income families. The purpose of the partnership is to advocate for state, local, and federal policies that expand access to solar, grid resiliency, and economic empowerment for people of color and low-income families.
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