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U.S. offshore wind development welcomes gusts of opportunity

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Celebrating Earth Month with the Environmental Compliance and Strategy Team

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What you should know about energy storage safety

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Invenergy’s Rusutsu Wind Energy Center Reaches Commercial Operations in Japan

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Invenergy-Led Consortium Completes Purchase of American Electric Power’s Unregulated Renewables Portfolio

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Invenergy Services Drives Operational Excellence With SolarAnywhere

Invenergy Services’ Approach to Safety Benefits Customers

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An Introduction to Invenergy Services’ Owner’s Mindset

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Building renewable power projects is only one facet of the fight against climate change and environmental inequity. Fortunately, there are many organizations dedicated to addressing different aspects of this mission. To celebrate Earth Month, this month’s Impact Partnership Spotlight highlights 

 (TPL), whose mission is to create parks and protect land, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come.

Trust for Public Land is a leader in equitable access to the outdoors and works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 3 million acres of public land, created more than 5,000 parks, trails, and schoolyards, raised $84 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected more than 9 million people to the outdoors.

This year, Invenergy is supporting a project in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood developed through TPL’s 

. This project will include the revitalization of the West Side Association for Community Action (WACA) basketball court at 1916 S Drake. This project is part of an initiative called Under the Grid, to transform a one-mile stretch of land beneath the CTA’s Pink Line into an art-filled green walkway. The basketball court is within a 10-minute walk of more than 9,000 residents and is also being developed as a community gathering spot.

The design of the space is heavily influenced by community members. Local high school students have been involved in the project since its inception and attendees of a March 2021 charette voted on different elements that could be included. Given the project’s sunny location, TPL is exploring using solar energy to power court lights.

On April 18, we hosted a Lunch & Learn with TPL staff and learned about their Decision Support Tool, an interactive, web-based platform for prioritizing conservation investments and how this tool has made a difference in communities across the country. TPL experts also discussed plans around projects in their Equitable Communities Fund in Chicago, Denver, and Dallas.

Learn more about how Invenergy and our partners are making an impact at www.invenergyimpact.com

Invenergy Partners in Impact: Trust for Public Land

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Supporting learning and education is one of the main pillars of how we make an impact at Invenergy. From attending local elementary school career fairs, to donating over $900,000 to educational causes in 2022, we have a holistic approach to supporting students where we develop, work, and operate. The Polsky Foundation, founded by Michael Polsky, Invenergy’s founder and CEO, also views education as imperative to its mission.  The Polsky Foundation has a long history of supporting youth programs that foster the development of science, technology, and entrepreneurship skills. In light of this common mission, Invenergy and the Polsky Foundation will invest over $1.75 million to the University of Chicago to create two unique summer programs in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for high school students focused on innovation and climate and energy topics.

Over the next five years, students with a passion for sustainability and the energy industry will be selected to engage in one of two programs facilitated by UChicago and MIT. The first of these programs, the Young Innovators Program (YIP), partners with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to inspire and prepare high school students to pursue careers in innovation and entrepreneurship through experiential learning, mentorship, and connection with a peer support network. The second of these programs is the Young Innovators Climate and Energy Summer program (YICES), where high school students focus on tackling climate and energy topics and learn from Invenergy experts in the industry.  

 “It is vital that young people today develop the ability to think innovatively as entrepreneurs. In my nearly forty years as a serial entrepreneur, a commitment to relentless innovation has always been a guiding principle for my companies as we continue to lead the clean energy transition," says Michael Polsky, Invenergy's founder and CEO. "The Young Innovators Program is a fantastic learning ground that equips students with the skills necessary to meet tomorrow’s most consequential challenges.” 

During the first iteration of these programs in July 2023, 61 Invenergy/Polsky Scholars traveled from 17 different states to spend a week at the University of Chicago’s campus. Invenergy/Polsky Scholars had the opportunity to experience fun things in the city like Second City Comedy Club and the Chicago Architecture Boat Tour. Students in YIP had the opportunity to learn about innovation and entrepreneurship from professors in UChicago’s Booth School of business and had the opportunity to participate in a virtual fireside chat with Michael Polsky. Students in the YICES program attended courses covering everything from environmental policy to social sector innovation. Invenergy Scholars from both programs met with representatives from MIT and UChicago to learn more about the college admissions process. 

Students from both programs visited the Invenergy headquarters located the Chicago Loop to hear from our employees who are experts in the industry. Throughout the program, students attending YIP met with mentors from Invenergy to brainstorm innovative solutions to climate related issues and at the culmination of the program, a final pitch showcase was held to present each team’s recommendation. During the YIP program, students heard from a panel of Invenergy employees from across the organization, including the development, origination, and engineering teams, as well as a representative from Reactivate. The panel discussed a wide range of topics in response to student questions, such as project siting, environmental permitting, project financing, and offtake agreements. 

“I truly had the best days of my summer interacting with like-minded people and learning all about climate, energy, and sustainability," says Ani Apresyan, one of the program's participants. "The lectures were all amazing, and I’m even planning to use my notes from the past week to improve the non-profit I work at right now." 

With the success of this year’s iteration of YIP and YICES, we look forward to providing more opportunities for students to problem solve against climate-related issues and envision their own future careers in the clean energy industry.  

To learn more about the YIP and YICES, check out the University of Chicago feature on the programs below.  

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Invenergy and the Polsky Foundation Invest $1.75 Million in the Next Generation of Innovators

To cultivate the next generation of innovators building a sustainable world, students need to gain the leadership experience and technical knowledge necessary to succeed in the clean energy industry. The National FFA Organization, also known as the Future Farmers of America, is critical to helping students develop those skills. Invenergy is proud to feature them for our Impact Partner spotlight.

The FFA is dedicated to giving students the opportunities to grow their skills for future careers in agriculture, biology, veterinary medicine, chemistry, engineering, entrepreneurship and more.

Since 2018, Invenergy has been a proud sponsor of local FFA chapters located near our project sites. As part of Invenergy’s Impact program, project sites make regular financial contributions to local FFA chapters. But Invenergy’s involvement goes beyond donations.

Invenergy’s team at Buckeye Wind Farm in Ellis County, Kansas, has assisted four local high schools with creating gardens for their campuses. The Buckeye team brought compost tumblers, gardening tools, and shipping containers to repurpose as garden beds to the school, and they helped the students set everything up.

“You’re working with a local group of kids, working with your fellow technicians, and it’s fun to give back and do it as a group,” says Buckeye O&M manager Nolan Schmeidler.

And for Schmeidler, it’s even more personal. He attended one of the high schools where he and the Buckeye team now regularly volunteer.

Lesa Lang-Parson, Administrative Assistant at Buckeye, is grateful for the opportunity to share her passion for sustainable energy with students. One way she has been able to do that is when she helped bring solar panels to a high school and spoke with students about renewable energy to encourage them to start their own sustainability initiatives.

“We’re here to share our knowledge, we’re here to help people and educate them on how to help themselves,” Lang-Parson says. “I think the youth is our future, and I want them to know what they’re doing when I think the youth is our future.”

As part of the FFA uniform, members wear blue corduroy FFA jackets to commemorate their participation and hard work in the organization. This year, Invenergy is donating 100 FFA Blue Jackets to FFA chapters across the country, which for the students who get an opportunity to wear one are a symbol of community, pride and a reminder that they are a part of something bigger than themselves.

The connection to FFA is very personal to the many Invenergy employees who were members of the program in high school. For instance, Bristi Cure, Invenergy’s Vice President, Renewable Development, says the FFA was an important part of her leadership development journey.

“I joined the Spur FFA chapter to broaden my educational experience,” Cure says. “I began competing in parliamentary procedure, radio broadcasting and meat judging state competitions that improved my public speaking skills and allowed me to expand my network.”

The highlight of the year for FFA students is the upcoming 95th FFA Convention held in Indianapolis from October 26-29. The FFA Convention showcases the many talents and career paths that students have explored during their time in the program. Invenergy is proud to sponsor the biotechnology, environmental service and natural resources systems pathway at this year’s Convention. Attendees who participate in sessions under this pathway will learn more about agriscience research, environmental and natural resources, environmental science, natural resource management, forestry management and products, outdoor recreation, and wildlife protection and management.

Invenergy is proud of the work we’ve done with the FFA, and we’re looking forward to continuing that legacy.

“The FFA provided my first real-world experience in networking,” Cure says. “Now, as a renewable energy project developer, I highly depend on this skill to build trusting relationships and get projects across the finish line.”

Invenergy’s Impact partnerships are a reflection of the core principles of our business and the role we want to play in a changing world. Learn more about how Invenergy and our partners are making an impact at www.invenergyimpact.com.

Impact Partner Spotlight: The National FFA Organization

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Invenergy Impact Partner Spotlight: Evergreen Climate Innovations

Meghan Schultz, Invenergy’s Senior Vice President of Structured Finance, is a true energy industry leader and role model. Since joining Invenergy in 2008, she’s made significant contributions to growing the renewable energy market. She is a member of Invenergy’s Management Committee and leads a team that raises billions of dollars in capital for wind, solar and natural gas projects every year.

Meghan has also been integral to promoting the inclusion and advancement of women at Invenergy as well as within the broader energy industry. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Meghan was recently awarded the 2018 Leadership Award by Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) at the annual WRISE Luncheon at the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) Windpower Conference.

“Her passion is surpassed only by her effectiveness in really bringing about change,” said Karen Conover, WRISE Board Member, about Meghan. Karen went on to applaud Meghan for the key role she has played in reviving the Chicago Chapter of WRISE in 2011—which has now grown to be one of the largest chapters in the country—and her continued commitment through fundraising and engagement opportunities.

Karen also recognized Meghan’s initiative to raise attention to inclusion and gender equality at Invenergy. In 2015, Meghan took the lead to establish the Invenergy Women’s Network (IWN), which promotes the development and advancement of women at Invenergy. Today, IWN has numerous programs to recruit, develop and retain female employees; from mentorship, to scholarship fundraising, and speaking events. 

Celebrating her 10-year anniversary at Invenergy this year, Meghan says that the company didn’t always look the way it does today. She took some time to share her perspective on her efforts promoting women within the company, industry and the broader community:

I strongly believe in the value of an inclusive workforce and providing a culture where all voices are heard and valued. It leads to better decision-making, more innovation, and most importantly, a place where employees are excited about coming to work every day.

The work that WRISE does is extremely important in promoting this type of culture, and as a 

company, we have a responsibility to do the same. We’ve made significant strides in hiring women at our company—in 2017, 48% of new hires at our headquarters office in Chicago were women—and we look forward to continuing work towards the advancement of women throughout the organization. 

IWN has been an important part of elevating our company’s culture by providing programming, resources and opportunities for both the women and the men at Invenergy to network and share strategies to help them become stronger employees and managers. IWN has worked to increase awareness about the unique issues that woman face in the workforce.

At a company level, Invenergy recently held training and workshops on inclusion, unconscious bias and growth mindset as another important step. These are ongoing efforts that I’m proud our company is embracing and building upon.

I am grateful to be part of a company that has not only provided me with tremendous professional growth opportunities, but has also allowed my voice to be heard. I want to make sure every current and future employee has the same opportunities.

This is the second notable award Meghan has been the recipient of recently. In December 2017, she was named to 

40 Under 40 list. Invenergy is proud to have Meghan as a business leader on our team and as a champion of inclusion and gender equality in our company and industry.

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Promoting Women in Renewable Energy

Invenergy understands that to continue staying ahead of the curve in the clean energy industry, we need the best workforce on our team. And in our more than 20 years in the business, we’ve seen just how educational opportunities and a passion for the industry are important for current and prospective employees to succeed. At Invenergy, we understand these factors, in addition to prioritizing a workforce that brings a variety of backgrounds, skills and ideas to work each day, are important to our continued success.

That belief is what makes our partnership with Chicago Scholars so important. Their organization’s mission is to “uniquely select, train and mentor academically ambitious students from under-resourced communities to complete college and become the next generation of leaders” in the city.

Over the course of a seven-year period, Chicago Scholars helps students in three phases of their academic development: college access, college success and college to careers. Throughout the program, students learn how to navigate the college admissions process, self-advocacy and networking skills, career development training and more.

For the last two years, Invenergy has sponsored Chicago Scholars’ Vibrant Green Futures mainstage event, in addition to offering thought leadership during the program. This year, Rhonda Jones, Invenergy’s Vice President of Reliability Compliance, discussed how the clean energy industry can diversify its leadership ranks.

Invenergy and Chicago Scholars have worked together to invest in the next generation of leaders. This summer we welcomed Sabine Ramirez, an undergrad at Purdue University pursuing an engineering degree, to our intern class. Sabine is part of the Chicago Scholar’s EMERGE program. The EMERGE Scholars program provides students with leadership and professional development experiences through paid internships with career partners throughout Chicago.

We also established the Invenergy Scholarship, which has been awarded to two Chicago Scholars students attending a four-year college or university who want to pursue a career in renewable energy. Read on to learn about the two award recipients, Amina Alkhatib and Ntokozo “Zandie” Lawson, and how their passion for sustainability drives their future career goals.

Amina graduated at the top of her class from Senn High School’s International Baccalaureate program. Inspired to fight climate change, she is eager to study renewable energy in college and dedicate her life to protecting the environment. An athlete who loves to be outside, Amina is excited to learn more about ways in which humans can use kinetic energy to support renewable energy initiatives. Amina has participated in her high school’s service club, debate team, and Spanish club, and she is also a member of the soccer, basketball, and flag football teams. Amina’s goal is to become a leader in the renewable energy industry, inspiring and representing women of color, and making renewable energy more accessible and efficient to have a positive impact on the environment. Amina will be attending The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Zandie graduated from Senn High School, completing the academically rigorous International Baccalaureate program. A leader in her school community, Zandie served as co-founder and chair of the IB student council, a school ambassador and athlete, and a team member who planned and organized ROTC events. Motivated by an appreciation for the beauty of nature, an interest in business, and an awareness of environmental-related injustices, Zandie feels motivated to take action against climate change. As president of her high school’s Green Club, Zandie organized school clean-ups and advocated for recycling programs. Zandie also spent recent summers interning at the Chicago Botanic Garden, an experience that opened her eyes to climate change and sustainable development. These experiences solidified her commitment to making change in her community and promoting the use of renewable energy. Zandie will be attending Denison University, where she plans to major in global commerce and environmental science.

Invenergy’s Impact partnerships are a reflection of the core principles of our business and the role we want to play in a changing world. 

Invenergy Impact Partner Spotlight: Chicago Scholars

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Members of Invenergy’s Denver team recently took the day off from their laptops and meetings to do something different: climbing onto a rooftop in Westminster, Colorado, to learn how to install solar panels. Although we are experts in the clean energy industry, we relied on the certified professionals at GRID Alternatives to lead this workday.

 is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build community-powered solutions to advance economic and environmental justice through renewable energy, especially in communities most impacted by underemployment, pollution and climate change. With a common goal to expand access to clean energy solutions across the globe, we’re excited to feature GRID Alternatives for our Impact Partner spotlight.

From providing no-cost solar to qualified low-income households through its 

, a program designed to develop the skills that are most relevant to entry-level solar installation jobs, GRID is providing individuals who might not otherwise have the opportunity with several ways to be a part of the clean energy transition.

GRID also promotes access to hands-on experience with residential solar through volunteer workdays. During the Denver team’s volunteer workday, employees from engineering, social impact, and preconstruction groups, among others, used their volunteer time off to gain an understanding of installing residential solar systems through GRID’s staff and participants in their IBT program.

Sam Bernat, an analyst on Invenergy’s origination team, learned a lot from his experience with the program.

“The GRID Alternatives team helped teach us how to install the racking, panels, and wiring for the rooftop solar system. Their team was very knowledgeable, kind, and passionate about giving back to the communities in our area,” he says. “It was great to spend this time with my coworkers and to get to know a team as driven as GRID Alternatives. Overall, the experience was fulfilling, informative and fun.”

GRID also has international programming with communities in Nicaragua, Nepal, and Mexico, where they install solar electric systems to power homes, health centers, small businesses, water projects, orphanages and schools and other mission-aligned organizations.

Invenergy’s Dylan Masi, senior associate, pre-construction, participated in GRID’s Nepal trip in 2019. “Along with a group of 10 volunteers and three GRID Alternatives staff, Masi traveled to the Chitwan National Park where she installed rooftop solar and a battery bank in an off-grid eco-tourism tower.

“We met with local community members who explained how adding electricity to the tower would bring more tourists to the park, generating more revenue which would go toward local schools as well as anti-poaching initiatives and other wildlife conservation measures. The national park was beautiful – we were able to see elephants and even a big rhinoceros while working on the tower.”

Masi appreciated being able to split her time between work installing solar and storage infrastructure and learning more about Nepalese culture.

“I got to go on a safari ride in the jungle and climb to a temple in Kathmandu, among other activities, as well as do meaningful work by bringing clean energy to a small community across the world”.

Invenergy is providing financial support to participants in GRID’s IBT program, and we look forward to building on our partnership in the future.

Impact Partner Spotlight: GRID Alternatives

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The complex challenges presented by our changing climate require all our collective ingenuity, creativity, cooperation and resilience to solve. The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) believes strongly in that mission, making it a natural community partner for Invenergy. Through its exhibition work, MSI aims to inspire people to connect, care and commit to participating in building a dynamic and sustainable future for everyone. By seeking to change people’s attitudes toward the planet and cultivate a sense of responsibility for the future, MSI is dedicated to propelling us toward a better tomorrow for ourselves and generations to come.

Throughout Invenergy’s ongoing partnership with MSI, we’ve had employees participate in several volunteer opportunities at the museum, including MSI’s Black Creativity Career Showcase. The event brought together Black professionals in the science, technology, medicine and engineering fields to discuss their careers with Black youth and to encourage them to pursue careers in these fields. Invenergy had four employees at the event. Seven employees also took part in MSI’s Science Works event held during Hispanic Heritage Month. The event focused on reaching Latinx youth to provide a learning opportunity for kids interested in pursuing a STEM career.

Invenergy colleagues volunteered at the MSI Science Works event in 2021

MSI also looks to inspire students and educators in classroom settings. In May, some of our Invenergy engineers engaged with middle school science teachers in Chicago through professional development classes MSI developed, like their current course, Understanding Energy through Engineering. The focus of this course is to study a real-world problem: We are using too much energy and from sources that hurt the environment.This learning experience was designed to connect knowledge about energy to engineering solutions that can help move schools away from energy sources that have negative impacts on the environment.

Invenergy’s Social Impact partnerships are a reflection of the core principles of our business and the role we want to play in a changing world. We encourage our employees to support the work these organizations are doing and take advantage of the networking, professional development, and Volunteer Time Off (VTO) opportunities our partnerships provide. Learn more about our Impact in the 2021 Invenergy Impact Report at www.invenergyimpact2021.com

Impact Partner Spotlight: Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago

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From a young age, kids start thinking about what they might want to do when they grow up. Aside from some of the old favorites – like an astronaut or firefighter – KidWind is focused on adding “a job in the clean energy field” to that list. With a mission like that, Invenergy is proud to feature them as our Impact Partner of the Month.

KidWind is a non-profit organization that helps teachers and students creatively explore the science, technology and implications of a world powered by renewable energy. The program starts by providing teachers with a wealth of ideas and resources for incorporating renewable energy lessons into their curriculum. One way it supports educators is through virtual and in-person workshops and their extended REcharge Academy, Kidwind’s flagship educator training program. This four-day program comprises in-person training sessions focused on expanding teachers’ knowledge of the renewable energy industry, combined with a variety of hands-on activities they can implement to teach renewable energy concepts to their students.

Topics at the academy this year included the future of our power grid, careers in sustainable energy, energy policy and tours of renewable energy installations. As part of this year’s partnership, Invenergy sponsored two Colorado teachers to attend the 2022 REcharge Academy in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

In May, Invenergy also sponsored a three-hour KidWind Project teacher training for 14 teachers from the Blue Ridge Unified School District and surrounding areas in Illinois. These educators learned more about Invenergy’s Sapphire Sky Energy Center (250 MW, Wind, IL) and participated in activities like the MacGyver Wind Challenge, where they competed to build a device with an attached weight from a bag of basic materials that could spin in the wind and lift off the ground. To help put this training into action, Invenergy donated funding for teachers to equip their classrooms with gear for their students, along with the option for a stipend for additional gear and lesson planning assistance.

In June, Invenergy’s renewables development team in Wisconsin hosted a teacher workshop at nearby Madison Area Technical College, with a special focus on solar energy, including solar siting and installation processes. They also toured the college’s onsite solar installation labs and rooftop solar array as well as Invenergy’s Badger Hollow I Energy Center. Following the workshop, a Madison County educator had this to say about their experience: “This was an awesome workshop with just the right mix of hands-on activities, discussion and field trips. We were so happy to be able to attend to learn about some of Wisconsin's largest solar arrays and get a chance to connect with all the energy educators and experts.”

The culmination of these training programs and student instruction comes to fruition at regional and national competitions, known as KidWind Challenges. During these events, students across the U.S. present ideas for creating their own sources of wind and solar energy – taking them one step closer to choosing a career in the renewable energy sector. Invenergy’s Impact partnerships are a reflection of the core principles of our business and the role we want to play in a changing world. Learn more about how Invenergy and our partners are making an impact at www.invenergyimpact.com

Invenergy Impact Partner Spotlight: KidWind

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Supporting the communities where we live, work and operate has always been ingrained in everything we do at Invenergy.   In fact, before our projects are even constructed, our teams connect with local representatives to support events and causes that mean the most to communities where we develop. After construction, we continue to invest by allocating Invenergy Impact funds that our operating sites donate to local nonprofit organizations each year. 

In 2022, we have been proud to build on intentional partnerships with several nonprofit organizations that reflect the core principles of our business and the role we want to play in building a sustainable world.  We worked with our Invenergy Impact Partners to create numerous events and engaging programming that built on our common goals. Read on to learn more about what we have accomplished with our partners this year.

Chicago Scholars’ mission is to uniquely select, train and mentor academically ambitious students from under-resourced communities to complete college and become the next generation of leaders in the city. Over the course of a seven-year period, Chicago Scholars has helped students in three phases of their academic development: college access, college success and college to careers. Throughout the program, students learn how to navigate the college admissions process, self-advocacy and networking skills, career development training and more. 

With a common goal to support the next generation of leaders, this year Invenergy and the Chicago Scholars Foundation established the Invenergy Scholarship.  Two Chicago Scholars students who are attending a four-year college or university with an interest in a career in renewable energy received the scholarships. In April, we also sponsored Chicago Scholars’ Vibrant Green Futures mainstage event for the second year. At the event, Rhonda Jones, Invenergy’s vice president of regulatory compliance, discussed how the clean energy industry can diversify its leadership ranks. 

This summer we also welcomed Sabine Ramirez, an undergrad at Purdue University pursuing an engineering degree, to our intern class. Sabine is part of the Chicago Scholar’s EMERGE internship program. As an industry partner of that program, we hosted an EMERGE Growth Lab in July at our Chicago office. During this event, college students networked with various teams across the organization and learned from a panel of our clean energy industry experts. 

Chicago Urban League (CUL) works to achieve equity for Black families and communities through social and economic empowerment. Their programs are designed to support and strengthen the Chicago community by helping people find jobs, secure affordable housing, advance education, and grow businesses. We believe innovation is driven by diverse ideas and perspectives and Invenergy is happy to support CUL’s equitable programming in the community that houses our headquarters and our largest concentration of employees. 

One of our primary engagements with CUL in 2022 was through their IMPACT program, an initiative that strives to narrow racial disparities in leadership positions by developing and supporting emerging Black leaders.  This nine-month program features a cohort of 40 Black professionals who have demonstrated a strong track record of civil and professional leadership in their field.  For the 2022/2023 program, Invenergy proudly sponsored two program participants, one from an external organization and one current Invenergy employee – senior manager of contracts, Melissa Brinson.  

In October, Invenergy and the Black and Brown @ Invenergy affinity group also co-hosted “Watts on the Menu: A Clean Energy Transition Networking Event” with CUL at our Chicago headquarters. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from state and federal government leaders as they discussed clean energy workforce development resources and contracting opportunities for minority-owned businesses. 

In 2010, Invenergy Founder and Chief Executive Officer Michael Polsky founded Evergreen Climate Innovations (formerly Clean Energy Trust) with Nick Pritzker to build a vibrant clean-tech ecosystem in the Midwest.  Evergreen Climate Innovations provides capital and support to entrepreneurs and start-ups as a catalyst to bring critical climate technologies to market. Through its investment fund, Evergreen advances and expands access to innovation across the greater Midwest and fosters an ecosystem of investors, donors and collaborators. Evergreen created its 501vc seed fund to address the capital gap in early-stage climate tech funding. This unique investment model combines the activities of a seed fund with the legal structure of a non-profit organization, which allows Evergreen to bear a little more risk than the market and provide capital to entrepreneurs at the earliest stages of development.

We continued our partnership with Evergreen in 2022 by providing financial assistance in support of their programming, and in July we hosted Paul Siedler, managing director at Evergreen Climate Innovations, at our Chicago headquarters. He discussed the current state of climate tech innovation and venture capital funding trends to look out for.  

GRID Alternatives is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build community-powered solutions to advance economic and environmental justice through renewable energy, especially in communities most impacted by underemployment, pollution and climate change.- From providing no-cost solar to qualified low-income households through its Energy for All initiative to its Installation Basics Training (IBT), a program designed to develop the skills that are most relevant to entry-level solar installation jobs, GRID is providing individuals who might not otherwise have the opportunity with several ways to be a part of the clean energy transition.

This year, Invenergy provided financial support to participants in GRID’s Installation Basics Training program, an initiative designed to help individuals develop the relevant skills for entry-level solar installation jobs. 

In August, our Denver team engaged with GRID Alternatives by volunteering to install a residential solar system. Sam Bernat, an analyst on Invenergy’s origination team, learned a lot from his experience with the program. “The GRID Alternatives team helped teach us how to install the racking, panels and wiring for the rooftop solar system. Their team was very knowledgeable, kind and passionate about giving back to the communities in our area,” he says. “It was great to spend this time with my coworkers and to get to know a team as driven as GRID Alternatives.” 

KidWind is a non-profit organization that helps teachers and students creatively explore the science, technology and implications of a world powered by renewable energy. They provide free workshops and resources for teachers to incorporate renewable energy lessons into their curriculum, as well as their annual flagship educator training program, REcharge Academy. The culmination of these training programs and student instruction comes to fruition at regional and national competitions, known as KidWind Challenges. During these events, students present ideas for creating their own sources of wind and solar energy – taking them one step closer to choosing a career in the renewable energy sector.

Throughout the year, we worked with KidWind to host teacher trainings-near our development projects. In May, Invenergy sponsored a three-hour KidWind teacher training for 14 teachers from the Blue Ridge Unified School District and surrounding areas in Illinois. These educators learned more about Invenergy’s Sapphire Sky Energy Center (250 MW, Wind, IL) and participated in activities like the MacGyver Wind Challenge, where they competed to build a device with an attached weight from a bag of basic materials that could spin in the wind and lift off the ground. 

In June, Invenergy’s renewables development team in Wisconsin hosted a teacher workshop at nearby Madison Area Technical College with a special focus on solar energy, including solar siting and installation processes. They also toured the college’s onsite solar installation labs and rooftop solar array, as well as Invenergy’s Badger Hollow I Energy Center (150 MW, Solar, WI). Invenergy also sponsored two Colorado teachers to attend the 2022 REcharge Academy, Kidwind’s flagship educator training program. 

Through its exhibition work, the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) aims to inspire people to connect, care and commit to participating in building a dynamic and sustainable future for everyone. With this mission, MSI has been a longtime Invenergy Impact partner. MSI is the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere, and currently has over 35 experiences for the public to explore. The nonprofit also has education initiatives and learning experiences open to teachers, students and parents inside and outside the classroom.

Throughout the year, employees from Invenergy’s Chicago office participated in several volunteer events hosted by MSI. In February, employees participated in MSI’s Black Creativity Showcase, part of the museum’s Black Creativity programming during Black History Month. The mission of the program is to inspire African American children to pursue educational opportunities and careers in the fields of science, technology, medicine, and engineering, through programs and events at the museum. In June engineers from our Chicago office volunteered at “Engineer Your Future,” an interactive experience for students to explore careers in many fields of engineering. We also continued our participation in MSI’s Science Works, where students and parents can connect directly with STEM professionals and learn about their careers. Several STEM teams represented Invenergy at the event, such as renewable engineering, thermal asset management, renewable project management, renewable electrical engineering, and project controls.   

Team Rubicon is a nonprofit disaster response organization that mobilizes veterans and civilian volunteers to help people prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters and humanitarian crises in the U.S. and abroad. This year, we supported Team Rubicon International’s humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine and Invenergy employees raised more than $21,000 for to aid the country. 

Invenergy also allocated funding to Team Rubicon disaster relief efforts in October after Hurricane Fiona touched down in Puerto Rico and Hurricane Ian landed in Florida weeks later. Both storms damaged homes, businesses, and infrastructure, but Team Rubicon immediately deployed volunteers to help with debris cleanup and home repair. Invenergy donated $15,000 to support Team Rubicon in both regions. We are proud to continue supporting their future community relief efforts.

While building clean energy facilities is an important way we invest in a sustainable future, preserving green spaces for the public to enjoy is essential to equitable access to nature. Trust for Public Land’s (TPL) mission is to create parks and protect land, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Since 1972, TPL has created thousands of parks and protected millions of acres of public land and they remain committed to creating and protecting parks, trails, community forests, playgrounds, and public lands and making them available and welcoming to all. In support of this mission, Invenergy provided funding for a project in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood developed through TPL’s 

. This project will include the revitalization of the West Side Association for Community Action’s (WACA) basketball court. The project is part of an initiative called Under the Grid, an effort to transform a one-mile stretch of land beneath the CTA’s Pink Line into an art-filled green walkway. The basketball court is within a 10-minute walk of more than 9,000 residents, and it is also being developed as a community gathering spot. 

To celebrate Earth Month in April, TPL staff joined us for a hybrid in-person and virtual event where they discussed TPL’s approach to data and partnerships for equitable park development. Invenergy employees watched staff demonstrate TPL’s web-based Decision Support Tool in real time and learned how it has made a difference in communities like Camden, Dallas, and Denver. This tool is used by agencies, community groups and citizens to prioritize conservation investments.

We began our relationship with Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) in 2007 and have expanded our support of their activities over the years. Today, WRISE has a grassroots network of nearly 15,000 members and hosts workshops, webinars, and programming through its local chapters and alongside industry events each year. Some of the organization’s most important projects are its annual Wind Power and Solar Power Fellowships, which provide individuals with the opportunity to attend annual industry conferences and trade shows.

With our partnership, all Invenergy employees receive a complimentary WRISE membership and access to their events. To celebrate Women’s History Month in March, Kristen Graf, WRISE’s former executive director, spoke to our employees about her career and journey as a woman in the renewable energy industry. Graf also spoke to WRISE initiatives that are dedicated to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion both within their organization and across the clean energy industry. Graf said “The renewable energy and sustainability sector has made dramatic advancements in recent years, and yet we are still at the tip of the iceberg and have a great deal of work ahead of us. Our hope is to ensure that each organization is not reinventing that work. There are incredible experts, resources, and best practices that are already known – we want to be sure our partners have access to all they need to be successful in their diversity, equity, inclusion and justice efforts.”

Making a Difference Together: 2022 Invenergy Impact Partners

November is National Veterans and Military Families Month, a time to remember the many sacrifices made by servicemembers across the US armed forces. These men and women safeguard our security and prosperity, and each year we recognize our veterans for their service to the country. 

“The military is not just about fighting wars in foreign countries,” says Invenergy Vice President, Third Party Services Brad Purtell, who spent six years in the Navy. “It’s about protecting the American way of life, both abroad and domestically, which includes helping fellow Americans recover in their darkest hours.” 

It is in that spirit of community engagement that Purtell and Senior Manager, Operations Support Frank Santiago went to Gibson City, Illinois to volunteer with 

 to assist families displaced by flooding.

Team Rubicon is a nonprofit disaster response organization that mobilizes veterans and civilian volunteers (known as “Greyshirts”) to help people prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and humanitarian crises in the United States and abroad. The organization has responded to over 400 disasters since the group was founded in 2010. Recent activities include COVID-19 vaccine distribution, helping to resettle Afghan allies in the United States, and providing on-the-ground support in following a major earthquake in Haiti and Hurricane Ida in Louisiana. 

Invenergy has worked with Team Rubicon on a variety of disaster recovery efforts, and last year raised more than $5,000 for the organization by selling facemasks. The partnership with the organization has been spearheaded by the Invenergy Veterans Network (IVN), a company affinity group that supports veteran recruitment and engagement in clean energy and coordinates additional days of veteran-driven volunteer service. 

Down in Gibson City, Purtell and Santiago worked side by side with fellow veterans and volunteers to provide a much-needed service for the residents in their “darkest hours.” Late summer rains caused flash flooding that made almost every road in the area impassable and required the evacuation of hundreds of people from their homes. Once they were able to return, they saw how significant the flood damage was, and the volunteers got to work removing old, soiled drywall, flooring, and framing to prepare the homes for repair and rebuilding.

Santiago, who also spent six years in the Navy, was happy to get his hands dirty helping the people in Invenergy’s home state. 

“My time in the military instilled certain qualities and attributes that are long-lasting, and these qualities have shaped the way I think and work,” Santiago says. "Our deployment with Team Rubicon served as a reminder of the camaraderie and sense of purpose that allows us to carry out the mission of restoring communities and peoples' livelihoods." 

The technical skills and community-focused approach instilled during their time in the military have also helped many veterans find a new home in the renewable industry when their service ends. Approximately 10 percent of employees at the Invenergy headquarters in Chicago and 16 percent of Invenergy Services technicians are military veterans, and we’re proud to have their expertise and dedication in building a more sustainable world – and in helping the communities around us. 

Invenergy Veterans Network Members Volunteer With Team Rubicon

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