Rebuilding for Resilience and Equity
"Freedom is not a state; it is an act. It is not some enchanted garden perched high on a distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest. Freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society.”
– Congressman John Lewis, Across that Bridge
As the nation pays tribute to civil rights leader and Georgia Congressman John Lewis, his words and actions provide timely lessons for the daunting challenges we face today.
We need to rebuild our economy.
We have an opportunity to rebuild in a way that takes aim at inequality and climate change – two of the most pressing issues of our time – and that positions us to emerge from this crisis stronger than before. We have an opportunity to invest in a way that makes our communities more resilient and more equitable, and that provides tangible economic and environmental benefits right now and for years to come.
We need to act. We need to act with intention. And we need to do it now.
DO SOMETHING
In our June newsletter, our CFO Omar Blayton talked about systemic racism and the need to “DO SOMETHING” to fight for a better future. We take his words to heart.
In our daily work, we are financing, developing and operating solar projects that provide energy savings and environmental benefits for underserved people and communities, jobs and revenues for local solar developers and installers, and financial returns for our investors. With on-the-ground partners and a dedicated team, we are doing the hard work needed to get energy savings into the pockets of low-income households – and providing a new model for low-income community solar. Together with a broad coalition of clean energy and environmental justice advocates, we are pushing for policies that expand solar access for low-income communities here in Massachusetts.
As a team, we recognize that decisions we make about who we partner with, what projects we build, and how we raise and deploy capital have the power to either reinforce existing structures or play a role in tearing them down. Together, we are identifying ways to advance racial equity within Sunwealth, in our industry and in our community. Drawing on the Black Mass. Coalition’s blueprint for Massachusetts and Eastern Bank’s Close the Racial Wealth Gap pledge, we are defining concrete steps we can take across five areas – team, investors and stakeholders, developers and EPC partners, corporate vendors, and policy – to help dismantle structural racism and build a more just and equitable economy. We look forward to sharing our progress and results in future newsletters.
NEVER GIVE UP ON A CHILD
26 kW solar installation at Epiphany School in Dorchester, MA.
Meanwhile, we take inspiration from our partners, who every day provide models for “stepping up” rather than “giving up.” Epiphany School in Dorchester, MA, offers one such example. As educators and families grapple with the uncertainty of the upcoming school year, the tuition-free independent school for the children of economically disadvantaged families continues to serve and support their community, finding new and creative ways to give meaning to their motto, “Never give up on a child.”
They’ve instituted remote learning, regular mailings of reading materials and daily virtual check-ins to provide social and emotional support to keep students connected with their teachers and administrators. A food pantry with fresh produce, meat, baby formula and other household staples keeps students ready to learn. They’ve created an emergency financial assistance fund for families struggling with unemployment, eviction and other financial distress.
Though it remains unclear when students will return to campus, a new 26 kW rooftop solar installation awaits them when they do. The project is the result of a partnership between Boston Solar, Resonant Energy and Sunwealth, and is our second solar installation at Epiphany. Phase I, installed in 2018, has already generated thousands of dollars in energy savings for the school.
“The solar projects help us save money so that we can use more of our budget to directly serve students and their families,” says Epiphany School Chief Development Officer Lori Britton. “Solar makes a difference for the planet, and it’s making a difference for us right now.”
A BETTER FUTURE
Four months into the pandemic here in Massachusetts, the Sunwealth team continues to work mostly from home, balancing childcare with conference calls and celebrating our colleagues and partners’ “feats of strength” at virtual team meetings. We keep each other sane with team trivia contests and games of “Family Feud.” Most important, we keep our eyes on the prize: moving forward a diverse pipeline of solar projects that will deliver savings, green jobs and clean energy to our communities.
We are grateful for the opportunity to do this work – and to do it with colleagues and partners who share our vision of a better energy future. That future is within our reach. It’s up to us to get there.
Thank you for your partnership.
Best,
Jess
P.S. We want to hear from you. Let us know what you’re thinking by emailing, or continue the conversation on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram!