Redistributing Resources
Redirecting the Flow of Resources in Washington, DC
At Praxia Partners, we believe that the benefits of development should flow in to, not out of, the local community. That’s why Praxia Partners’ Community Renewable Energy is backing Neighborhood Solar Equity. We observed that the benefits of solar power installations are often limited to their hosts, and that nonprofits are often priced out of access to the environmental and financial benefits of renewable energy. Neighborhood Solar Equity helps nonprofits access the capacity-building benefits of solar power and reinvests revenue back into their communities.
The Neighborhood Solar Equity initiative earned a $1,177,506 grant from the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy and Environment’s Solar for All Innovation and Expansion Grant. We’re building over 500 kilowatts of solar on the campus of a DC university to help the university reduce its use of carbon-based fuel and to catalyze equitable community development in Washington, DC neighborhoods. With the support of the grant, Neighborhood Solar Equity is sharing 150 percent of the financial equivalent of the power produced with local residents and nonprofits. These will be delivered through three benefit streams including: stability support stipends, emergency energy assistance, and support for housing-focused nonprofits. Furthermore, additional revenue generated by the solar renewable energy credits are being reinvested into DC neighborhoods via the public benefit corporation Root + Branch. Through this project, we’re utilizing renewable energy to create shared value for DC neighborhoods. Learn more about the NSE-Solar For All project here.