DEVELOPER INSIGHTS: Cecelia Bolon on Energy Justice and the NYCHA PORTFOLIO
Cecelia Bolon is one of Sunwealth’s newest project developers. She came to Sunwealth from the Initiative for Energy Justice (IEJ) because she wanted to develop solar projects for partners like the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA).
Sol Purpose, Bright Power, and Sunwealth Power worked with NYCHA to design, install, and manage 1.8 MW of rooftop solar arrays on 27 buildings across the Queensbridge campus, the largest public housing project in the country. NYCHA is receiving $1.3 million in lease revenue over the next 20 years. As a part of this project, a cohort of NYCHA residents and community members have been trained in solar and solar installation. The project team hired 13 of these NYCHA residents and community members as full-time installation employees.
NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents installing solar panels on one of the NYCHA Queensbridge Buildings
With developers like Cecelia, Sunwealth is working with great development and installation partners to finance more and more projects like the NYCHA portfolio across the country.
Sunwealth’s CEO Jon Abe recently sat down with Cecelia to learn more about her work with IEJ and how it informs her work here at Sunwealth. Read their conversation below:
Jon: Can you tell me a little about your background, and what you do at Sunwealth?
Cecelia: I’ve always been really interested in how social injustices can be dismantled by public policy. In graduate school, I researched policies that advance a just transition to a renewable-based energy economy. I am now a Project Development Associate at Sunwealth where I manage solar project development and construction until projects are placed in service. I enjoy working with something as tangible as an individual solar project – and through the project development process, I get to see policy in action while supporting the hard work done by our local development and installation partners to make these solar projects happen.
Jon: Before coming to Sunwealth, you worked at the Initiative for Energy Justice (IEJ). Can you give me a little background on the organization and what it does?
Cecelia: IEJ provides law and policy resources to advocates and policymakers working to address energy justice issues. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of energy access for work and school, to power medical equipment, and more, yet over 30% of U.S. households report energy insecurity every year. This injustice is compounded by systemic racial and economic injustice, and a lack of utility and regulatory transparency and accountability. IEJ provides research, legal support, policy toolkits, and other assistance to those working on these issues.
Jon: I am lucky to see that experience reflected in your work at Sunwealth. Is there a project you worked on that moved you in one way or another?
Cecelia: My biggest project at IEJ was the ‘Justice in 100 Scorecard’, a framework to assess the justice and equity implications of state/territory-level 100% renewable energy laws. IEJ convened grassroots activists from across the country to guide the creation of the scorecard and to score the first ten state/territory-level 100% laws. Learning from these activists was one of the most exciting parts of my time at IEJ – their experiences reinforce the importance of centering justice and equity at every level of decision-making. 100% renewable energy is a great goal, but unless the fundamental values that govern our energy system change, any energy transition will replicate the injustices that are woven into our current system.
Jon: I like your point about changing the rules that govern our energy system. Did that ethos inform your decision to join Sunwealth? How do you think about your work here?
Cecelia: My time at IEJ definitely informed my decision to join the Sunwealth team. There are plenty of solar financiers, but there are few who work so intentionally to address inequality and injustice by empowering and financing the developers and installers that do this work. At Sunwealth, I get to think about how I can shift the solar industry towards justice, inclusion, and equity. In my role, I get to work alongside our development and installation partners to ensure the projects we finance benefit communities who have been disproportionately harmed by systemic injustices. The collective momentum toward solar justice is inspiring.
Jon: Any shoutouts for an impactful installation project and partner that Sunwealth recently worked with?
Cecelia: A favorite of mine is the portfolio of projects that Sunwealth financed for Caritas Communities, which was installed by Boston Solar. The Caritas portfolio centers community impact at every level – from the site host and power purchaser (Caritas), to the quality, local installer (Boston Solar). Projects like this show how we can use solar to ensure that everyone can benefit from the clean energy economy.
Jon: That’s great. Cecelia, thanks for taking the time. Before you go, what’s one thing that excites you about the year to come in our industry?
Cecelia: I’m excited about new renewable technologies, but I am even more excited by the growing number of people who are thinking about HOW these renewable energy innovations are deployed and ensuring that our local developers and installers play a leadership role in deploying profitable projects that benefit our communities. Sunwealth has seen substantial growth in the investments we receive to develop impactful solar projects, which reflects a major shift towards tying renewable energy development with social impact. Seeing our solar installation and development partners, our investors, and policymakers think critically about and take action on who will reap the benefits of a renewable energy economy gives me hope that equity and justice can be centered as our energy system transitions.