New Belgium Brewing is donating $100,000 to GRID Alternatives to support its mission to make solar technology accessible to low-income communities, while providing pathways to clean energy jobs. New Belgium has supported GRID Alternatives since 2015 and this latest up-front charitable contribution will be distributed equally ($50,000 each) to the GRID Bay Area and GRID Mid-Atlantic regional offices for completion of regional solar installation projects in underserved communities and training programs in 2018.
“At New Belgium we know renewable energies, like wind and solar, are essential components of a sustainable climate” said New Belgium Assitant Director of Sustainability, Katie Wallace. “GRID Alternatives doubles the benefit by helping in communities where the cost of implementing solar may be out of the typical household’s reach.”
New Belgium’s donation will help GRID Bay Area serve up to 32 families in the Atchison Village neighborhood in Richmond, CA. For GRID Mid-Atlantic, the funds will be used for the highest need projects in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore areas. The Atchison Village installation will be celebrated with a Solarthon event on June 9.
Once GRID installs solar, residents save up to 90 percent on electricity bills. GRID also provides job training and and hands-on installation experience to residents of disadvantaged communities, many of whom enter a career track and gain employment at solar companies.
“We all deserve to live in places that optimize environmental, economic, and social well-being; places that will be resilient to the human impacts of climate change,” continued Wallace. “GRID makes this possible with their transformative work and New Belgium is proud to offer our support.”
To date, New Belgium has donated over $16 million to worthy organizations throughout the country as part of its philanthropic giving and grants program.
I wold like to see solar operated lights for our greenway in Yakima ,Washington