This week marks #GivingTuesday, a movement that unleashes the power of radical generosity around the world. Established in 2012, Giving Tuesday has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity year-round. In the spirit of giving and making an impact in the communities where our industry lives and works, the American Clean Power Association (ACP) will continue the legacy tradition of partnering with a local organization on a community service project during the annual CLEANPOWER Conference and Exhibition.
From Dec. 7-8, the clean power industry will gather in Salt Lake City for the first in-person CLEANPOWER event. For this year’s CLEANPOWER Community Service Project, ACP is partnering with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salt Lake (BGCGSL). Our CLEANPOWER goal is to raise $30,000 to help fund the BGCGSL’s STEM education program activities that focus on teaching students about renewable energy.
When given the opportunity to sponsor ACP’s CLEANPOWER 2021 Community Service Project it was an easy decision for us. Our philanthropic mission at Hannon Armstrong is to accelerate a just transition toward an equitable, inclusive and climate positive future. This aligns perfectly with ACP’s long-term goal of ensuring that CLEANPOWER creates a positive social impact in its host communities.
When kids have access to high-yield learning experiences, they can overcome barriers to success. All kids deserve access to these types of experiences, yet not all have equal access. The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salt Lake reports that 78% of club members are from low-moderate income homes, 31% are from single-parent homes and 35% are Black, Indigenous, and other people of color. BGCGSL’s mission is to inspire and empower youth, families, and communities to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.
Working with the BGCGSL’s STEM Coordinator, Amanda Williams, ACP’s community service project will support a solar-focused STEM activity for the teen program at area clubs this week. In a recent exchange, Williams said that running the activity ahead of our Dec. 7- 8 CLEANPOWER Conference will build excitement and enhance the middle and high school students’ knowledge?around renewables and clean power careers. “I have a large set of small-scale solar panels?for them to make circuits, learn about voltage and the relation to power generation, and will end with some trivia about renewables that might surprise them,” Williams said. “We are so appreciative for our youth to have this opportunity to broaden their horizons to learn about careers they most likely don’t know exist and maybe they can see themselves in.”
With more than 415,000 Americans already working in wind, solar and energy storage across America and more on the way as our nation drives toward reaching our carbon emissions reduction and clean energy goals, we want to ensure these young club members know they can have a bright future in our industry. And it’s no secret that clean energy is one of the fastest growing industries right now.?In the coming years, more than 1 million Americans will have direct clean energy jobs. Right now, our industry provides two of the country’s top five fastest growing jobs: wind turbine technician and solar installer. Clean energy workers also make 30% more than the national median wage, ensuring that they have access to good-paying jobs that support them.?From wind technicians to engineers, construction managers to mechanics, finance professionals and crew transfer ship captains, clean power jobs span a variety of career occupations.?We are thrilled to share the many career opportunities that are available in clean power with the Salt Lake area students.
During the CLEANPOWER conference on Dec. 7, ACP and several industry leaders will visit the Spence Eccles Club to share their experiences working in clean energy during a Careers in Renewable Energy presentation to club members and students. The Spence Eccles Club was the ideal location to visit as it is a green building?that uses solar energy and is home to a state-of-the-art energy monitoring system. You can read more about it here.
The Spence Eccles Boys & Girls Club in Salt Lake City, Utah
As we strive to leave a legacy in Salt Lake City, I hope that you will consider donating to this worthy project to help us reach our fundraising goal. Click here to add a donation to your current registration. Once logged in, select “Upgrade,” then “Upgrade Now” and check the box by “Community Service Project: Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salt Lake City” to add your donation. CLEANPOWER attendees can donate throughout the Conference.
Please reach out to Elesha Peterson Carr on ACP’s staff who oversees this program if you have additional questions at epetersoncarr@cleanpower.org.
This is a guest blog post from ACP member Hannon Armstrong. To learn more information on how to become an ACP member, please visit our membership page.
Author:
Gil JenkinsVice President – Corporate Communications & Public AffairsHannon Armstrong
