Invest in Our Future launched in early 2023 to provide pooled resources and a strategy hub to organizations working to deploy clean energy projects across the country. We are committed to accelerating clean energy deployment in more places to unlock the benefits of clean energy for more people, including lower energy costs, good jobs, and strong economic growth.
Invest in Our Future provides philanthropic support to organizations that advance our four strategic objectives: expediting the siting and permitting of utility-scale clean energy projects; expanding the market for commercial-scale, community-serving clean energy projects; building a high-quality clean energy workforce; and strengthening the organizing and communications capacity of the clean energy deployment field. We support efforts to identify, activate, and cultivate people who have experienced the benefits of clean energy projects and amplify these stories in ways that build trust and support.
We also provide a hub for strategic collaboration among partners and philanthropic organizations—helping to identify gaps, opportunities, and effective organizations working in this space. We lift up deployment models with the potential to achieve greater pace by knocking down barriers; reach scale through replicability; and broaden/deepen public support for continued deployment.
Expediting the Siting and Permitting of Utility-Scale Clean Energy Projects
Deploying clean energy at greater pace and scale requires faster siting and permitting of large, utility-scale clean energy projects. Invest in Our Future provides philanthropic support to organizations working to clear barriers to building utility-scale clean energy projects, particularly in rural areas attracting the majority of project proposals. With IOF support, our grantees are:
- Using innovative organizing and communications tools to secure project permits and promote community benefit agreements.
- Identifying trusted local champions who are engaged and mobilized in support of these projects.
- Building the knowledge and capacity of local siting officials.
Expanding the Market for Commercial-Sale Clean Energy Projects
Commercial-scale clean energy projects, such as solar + storage microgrids and community solar installations, can avoid most permitting and interconnection challenges that often delay larger projects. This market segment is primed for expansion and can help mitigate the impact of rising electricity demand and energy prices. With IOF support, our grantees are helping to grow this nascent market by:
- Attracting new capital to spur a robust pipeline of community-serving projects that appeal to larger institutional investors.
- Expanding the public sector’s deployment of clean energy technologies.
Building a High-Quality Clean Energy Workforce
Improving job quality and training across the clean energy sector is critical to expanding the clean energy workforce, ensuring workers and communities benefit from project deployment, and, ultimately, building deeper public support for clean energy. With IOF support, our grantees are:
- Encouraging the use of community benefit frameworks to improve job quality in the clean energy sector.
- Developing scalable training programs, including pre-apprenticeships, multi-employer collaborations, and models for cross-training and upskilling.
- Uplifting workers and employers as storytellers to communicate the benefits of clean energy.
Strengthening the Organizing and Communication Capacity of the Clean Energy Deployment Field
Successful project deployment at scale requires building deeper public support for clean energy in more places. Yet growing political polarization, unchecked misinformation, and ineffective communications strategies often stand in the way. Invest in Our Future is tackling this challenge by:
- Building a network of trusted messengers directly involved in clean energy projects to share their success stories with the public and policymakers.
- Analyzing and improving communications strategies to build durable support for clean energy locally and nationwide.