Clean Power Alliance and Calpine Energy Solutions Award Funding to 12 Nonprofits Driving Local Clean Energy and Sustainability Efforts
Annual Grant Program Investing $289,000 Across Southern California Communities
Los Angeles, Calif., Jan. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --| Clean Power Alliance (CPA) and Calpine Community Energy have announced the latest group of awardees to receive funding through their annual Community Benefits Grant program. Through this ongoing partnership, 12 nonprofit organizations located throughout CPA’s service area in Los Angeles and Ventura counties will receive more than $289,000 in grants to advance clean energy; workforce training for clean energy jobs; environmental education and stewardship; and initiatives that expand equitable access to affordable, reliable, clean energy in their communities. Individual grants range from $15,000 to $30,000. Investing in local communities is a core component of CPA’s mission to strengthen regional resilience and expand access to clean energy. “These grants reflect CPA’s commitment to building a clean energy future that works for everyone,” said Gina Goodhill, Clean Power Alliance’s senior director of government affairs. “By partnering with trusted community-based organizations, we are investing in innovative solutions that improve quality of life, strengthen resilience and advance access to clean energy opportunities throughout our region. From workforce development to youth education and climate resilience, these efforts will strengthen community wellbeing and accelerate an equitable transition to clean energy in California.” The Community Benefits Grant program is an innovative partnership between CPA and Calpine, CPA’s customer support and billing services provider, allowing three percent of the value of CPA’s contract with Calpine to be reinvested into community-focused programs. Calpine Community Energy awards the program funding, while CPA develops the grant guidelines and helps recruit local nonprofit organizations to apply for the funding. Both organizations work together to review the applications and choose awardees. This application period took place from Sept. 2 to Sep. 30, 2025. “Over the years, the Community Benefits Grant program has grown into a powerful platform for collaboration, supporting organizations that are driving meaningful environmental progress in their communities,” said Josh Brock, Calpine Community Energy’s vice president of CCA commercial operations. “It reflects our shared commitment to building momentum and expanding impact year after year.” “Calpine Community Energy remains deeply committed to our CCA partners and the diverse communities they serve,” said Brock. “We’re proud to continue supporting a program that not only elevates the work of community organizations but also reinforces Clean Power Alliance’s long-standing impact throughout Southern California.” This year’s grant recipients include the following nonprofit organizations: API Forward Movement ($20,000) – Funds will go toward delivering a six-week, hands-on environmental justice leadership program for high school students from communities in the West San Gabriel Valley. Youth will participate in interactive learning modules on air and water quality, climate change, clean energy solutions, land use, transportation and green space equity, supported by field trips such as air quality sensor walks, watershed visits, urban composting and clean energy demonstrations. California Green Business Network ($26,400) – Funds will support the expansion of the Green Business program in Ventura County, which helps small businesses in disadvantaged areas overcome barriers to clean energy adoption. Through rebates, free multilingual technical assistance and educational workshops, the project will support energy-efficiency and electrification upgrades. California Housing Partnership ($30,000) – Funds will be used to help modernize Public Housing Authority (PHA) Utility Allowances in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Through comprehensive research, the partnership will analyze how PHAs account for modern technologies like heat pumps and induction cooktops, creating a public tracking database to identify gaps and best practices. This initiative will help remove financial disincentives to decarbonization, reduce energy burdens for low-income renters and advance an equitable, resilient transition to clean energy across CPA’s service area. Climate Mental Health Network ($21,516) – Funds will be used to expand the Climate Emotions Toolkit and professional development for teachers in Los Angeles County, equipping educators to address students’ emotional responses to climate change. Community Environmental Council ($26,000) – Funds will be used to expand clean energy and heat resilience efforts through the Ventura County Heat Action Plan by delivering bilingual education, technical assistance and outreach to vulnerable Latino, Indigenous and low-income communities. This initiative will help residents access rebates and incentives to improve energy efficiency and increase solar and electric vehicle adoption. Designing Resilience ($28,500) – Funds will be used to support expanding the Altadena Community Designing Resilience Initiative into a year-long program focused on education, engagement and resident-led planning. The initiative will engage residents—including seniors and non-English speakers—through workshops, surveys and neighborhood meetings to identify shared resilience priorities, develop a community resilience roadmap and build local capacity with multilingual materials and trained community ambassadors. Food Education and Discovery ($30,000) – Funds will be used to support Food Ed’s Entrepreneur Program—a hands-on climate and sustainability education initiative serving Title I middle and high schools in the cities of Arcadia, Temple City, and Monrovia. This initiative will strengthen local climate resilience, create equitable workforce opportunities and inspire over 3,000 students to become the next generation of environmental leaders in the San Gabriel Valley. Grades of Green ($20,000) – Funding will go to support the SOAR (Service, Ownership, Achievement, Respect) Eco-Innovation Virtual Academy and a community outreach day in Los Angeles County—advancing education, workforce development and environmental justice. The SOAR Virtual Academy provides a free monthlong virtual internship for 60–75 high school students to connect with clean energy and sustainability professionals and develop real-world projects while building digital portfolios for college and career readiness. MERITO Foundation ($25,000) – Funding will support MERITO Foundation’s Energy & Climate Education, Skill Building & Green Workforce Development project for economically disadvantaged 7th–12th grade students from Title I schools to become climate innovators and future green workforce leaders. Through teacher training, bilingual classroom instruction and guest lectures from renewable energy and environmental professionals, students will learn about energy efficiency, sustainability and locally relevant environmental challenges while exploring careers in clean energy, engineering and environmental science. Pando Populus ($22,500) – Funding will support a project-based learning initiative that takes sustainability ideas from Southland college and university classrooms and turns them into real-world projects. Supported by workshops, seminars and expert consultations, projects are showcased virtually and celebrated at the Pando Sustainability Awards. Continued mentorship and support are provided to ensure implementation. Reel Guppy Outdoors ($15,000) – Funding will be used to expand the Dockside Multimedia Learning and Research Center, a floating laboratory that provides Ventura County youth and families from underserved communities with hands-on environmental science, clean energy education and workforce development opportunities. Ventura County Community Foundation ($24,933) – Funding will be used to strengthen the Environmental Workforce Collaborative (EWC), a regional partnership of five nonprofit organizations that builds environmental resilience, advances green workforce pathways and delivers hands-on education across Ventura County. The next Community Benefits Grant program application period will open in the fall of 2026. In addition to this grant program, CPA continues to invest in the communities it serves through a range of initiatives that help customers access cost-saving and energy-efficient solutions and make communities more resilient. Collectively, these programs foster healthier communities by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, advancing environmental education and stewardship and supporting workforce development. Learn more about CPA programs at CleanPowerAlliance.org/programs. About Calpine Energy Solutions Calpine Community Energy is the premier provider of data management and customer contact center services for Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) Agencies. Since 2009, Calpine has been a trusted business partner serving 22 operating CCAs and managing customer data for over 5 million customer accounts across the United States. Calpine Energy Solution’s best-in-class back-office services help guide clients from the initial program launch through mass enrollment phases and beyond. Decades of utility and billing experience, electronic data interchange, customized implementation planning, and robust customer data management enable Calpine’s clients to achieve their missions and long-term operational success. |
About Clean Power Alliance
Clean Power Alliance is the locally operated, not-for-profit electricity provider serving 38 communities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. CPA is the fourth largest electricity provider in California and the number one green power provider in the United States. CPA provides clean renewable energy at competitive rates for approximately three million residents and businesses, along with innovative programs that promote resiliency, electrification and customer bill savings. CPA has an investment-grade credit rating of A from S&P Global Ratings.
View CPA’s most recent Impact Report here. Learn more about CPA at www.cleanpoweralliance.org.
John Axtell Clean Power Alliance 213-376-4850 Ext. 184 jaxtell@cleanpoweralliance.org
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