March 10, 2025 – Washington, DC – Today, Groundswell, a nonprofit that builds community power to cut electricity bills in half, released a Request for Information (RFI) to identify community solar developers, installers, and other contractors who are ready to help cut electricity bills in half for more than 17,000 families across the Southeast. Organizations with experience working with rural and small-town communities and in collaboration with municipal and rural electric cooperative utilities are especially encouraged to respond.
Last year, Groundswell’s Southeast Rural Power coalition was awarded a $156 million regional Solar for All contract from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help build community solar and associated energy storage projects that will cut electricity bills in half and improve resilience for more than 17,000 families across eight states. The coalition includes nonprofit rural cooperative and municipal utilities across Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Through the SE Rural Power Solar for All program, Groundswell will support the construction of approximately 107 MW of residential-serving community solar projects across the region, working in close collaboration with local utility partners and in alignment with the market structures of each of the states the coalition serves.
“We’re looking for contractors and developers who are ready to help us cut electricity bills in half for our neighbors who are struggling by building projects that improve resilience and economic development for everyone,” commented Groundswell CEO Michelle Moore.
Interested firms must submit their responses by March 26 at 5:00 PM ET.
Submissions should include qualifications, project experience, financing capabilities, and workforce development strategies. They should be emailed in PDF format to [email protected] with the subject line “SE Rural Power RFI Response – [Firm Name].”
For more information, visit groundswell.org or email [email protected].
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About Groundswell
Groundswell builds community power to cut electricity bills in half for our neighbors who need savings the most. We use community solar, resilience hubs, and home energy efficiency to preserve affordable housing, strengthen the grid, and support local economic development. Then, we connect people with projects through our data platform to deliver sustainable, measurable results. Founded in 2009, Groundswell joyfully serves more than 6,500 families in rural, small-town, and urban communities across the Heartland, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast regions with more than $3 million in annual electricity savings, on a pathway to delivering $15 million per year in savings to 30,000 families by 2030.