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Our energy futures...

Clean, local, affordable.
Equitable, resilient, restorative.

Groundswell builds community power.

Here's How

Illustration by Ngadi Smart

Groundswell is a 501c3 nonprofit that builds community power through equitable community solar projects and resilience centers, clean energy programs that reduce energy burdens, and pioneering research initiatives that help light the way to clean energy futures for all. Groundswell leads clean energy programs and projects in five states, including the District of Columbia, providing low- and moderate-income households more than $5.5 million in clean energy savings to date.

 

Sharing from abundance.

The sun’s energy is plentiful, but access to power from the sun is often exclusive — available only to the financially privileged. We believe there’s a better way, so we asked ourselves how can we use the abundant energy from the sun to “love our neighbors as ourselves”? At Groundswell, we do so through building solar projects that share power and devote 100% of solar savings to the households where they are best resourced.

Whether you rent or own your home, if you live in one of the communities Groundswell serves, you can subscribe to SharePowerTM for locally-produced solar energy.

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News & Events

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Highlights

  • Groundswell Launches First-ever Rural Renaissance Roadshow, Coming October 25-27, 2023, to Bentonville, AR

    Groundswell Launches First-ever Rural Renaissance Roadshow, Coming October 25-27, 2023, to Bentonville, AR

    As America moves forward with its biggest investment in rural power in 100 years, Groundswell announces its first-ever Rural Renaissance Roadshow, to take place from October 25-27 in Bentonville, Arkansas.

    The roadshow will feature practical workshops on topics ranging from how agrivoltaics can help farmers produce food and solar power to how clean energy supports main street economic development, with sessions designed to equip rural leaders with the information and practical technical support that communities need to get local projects funded and built.

    The three-day conference will feature education, inspiration, and practical technical support to help small towns and rural communities get their projects funded and built. 

  • LIFT for Solar Access Everywhere Research Featured in Springer Proceedings in Energy Ahead of ASES Conference

    LIFT for Solar Access Everywhere Research Featured in Springer Proceedings in Energy Ahead of ASES Conference

    Findings from innovative LIFT research was published in Springer Proceedings in Energy's Proceedings of the 52nd American Solar Energy Society National Solar Conference 2023, a peer-reviewed publication focused on present and future forms of energy as a resource for human societies. The LIFT paper discusses new community solar deployment tools, strategies for implementing financial best practices, and other key insights utilities and solar developers can leverage to improve inclusive solar access to LMI communities.
  • Groundswell Celebrates New Community Solar Array And District Milestone

    Groundswell Celebrates New Community Solar Array And District Milestone

    In June 2023, Groundswell, in partnership with  Sargent Memorial Presbyterian Church, SunLight General Capital, Working Power,  and the Office of the People's Counsel, celebrated the newest DC Solar for All community solar array, which will bring the number of income-qualified DC residents receiving free solar electricity to more than 6,000 households, as a part of the DC  Department of Energy and Environment’s (DOEE) Solar for All program. 

  • Christ for Everyone Ministries Addressing Energy Equity with Community Solar

    Christ for Everyone Ministries Addressing Energy Equity with Community Solar

    In June 2023, Groundswell joined Christ for Everyone Ministries and the Chicago Heights community in celebrating the completion of a community solar array that has transformed land previously used as a landfill into a community asset, benefiting local households. The 654 kWdc community solar array at Christ for Everyone Ministries is one of the first projects under the Illinois Solar for All: Community Solar program (ILSFA).

  • LIFT Toolkit Provides Insight Into Successful Solar Development Focused on LMI Households

    LIFT Toolkit Provides Insight Into Successful Solar Development Focused on LMI Households

    In October 2022, Groundswell, in partnership with Clean Energy Works, Elevate, and Southface, released a free online toolkit designed to help utilities, municipalities, and solar developers establish new and expanded solar programs to serve low to moderate-income (LMI) families nationwide. This toolkit was created through the Low-Income Financing and Transactions (LIFT) for Solar Access Everywhere collaboration. It features the largest searchable database of community solar projects serving LMI families in the US – the first of its kind. 

  • Rural Energy Burden Georgia

    Rural Energy Burden Georgia

    While Georgia has lower electricity rates than the national average (of 14.12 ¢ / kWh), Georgia’s statewide average energy burden for low and moderate-income households is 19.4%. The average energy burden for Georgia households living at 50% of the Federal Poverty Level(FPL) is 30% -  five times that of Georgia households earning $55,500 (or 200% of the FPL) or more per year. Rural counties across Georgia carry the heaviest energy burdens across income brackets - driven by rural poverty, unemployment, and the prevalence of older, single-family rental housing.

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Groundswell is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Donations help us serve more people and get more good work done. Please support our efforts to build community power with a tax-deductible donation today.

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