This webinar was held on May 4, 2021, at 11 a.m. ET and featured Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm announcing over $15 million in new funding to support equitable solar deployment by addressing the barriers people face in accessing the benefits of solar, through technical assistance, community solar, and workforce development. Webinar topics included:
- Request for Information: Workforce Development Strategies Supporting the Solar Industry – soliciting feedback about targeted training efforts and future workforce funding
- Request for Information: Equitable Access to Community-Based Solar – soliciting feedback about how to improve access to the resources necessary for underserved communities to participate in the clean energy transition
- Funding Opportunity Announcement: SolSmart Program Management – $10 million for administration of program that recognizes local governments that streamline installation of clean energy systems
- Solar Energy Innovation Network (SEIN) Round 3 – $5.5 million to support diverse teams that design solutions to reduce barriers to equitable solar energy deployment
Guest Speakers
- Jennifer M. Granholm, Energy Secretary
- Kelly Speakes-Backman, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
- Shalanda Baker, Deputy Director for Energy Justice
- Becca Jones-Albertus, Director of the Solar Energy Technologies Office
- Jennifer Kropke, Director of Energy Jobs
- Abigail Ross Hopper, President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association
- Sylvester Taylor, Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1
- Van Vincent, President and CEO of VLV Development
- Bryan Garcia, CEO of Connecticut Green Bank
- Donnel Baird, CEO of BlocPower
Webinar Recording
View the recording. (passcode: CF^APB9?). Use Google Chrome for best viewing results. The webinar transcript is forthcoming - check back soon!
You can also view the livestream on YouTube below.
A Force for Change: Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) in the Solar Industry
U.S. Department of Energy
On the southside of Chicago, an early example of community solar for low-income Americans is operating at the Dearborn Homes in the Bronzeville community, thanks in part to a DOE-funded project to support a microgrid that combines solar photovoltaics with battery storage.
U.S. Department of Energy