An Inclusive Path to a Greener Future 7.12.2024

Earlier this year, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced a $156 million grant to a Cleveland organization to fund an effort to ensure access to solar power for low-income communities across the Midwest. Although solar power has been available in this country for decades, the upfront cost of even small residential solar arrays has been prohibitively expensive for all but the wealthiest and most committed homeowners. The EPA's support of Growth Opportunity Partners (Growth Opps) could change that.
The EPA grant provides the seed capital needed for the GO Green Energy Fund, the nation's first African American led Green Bank, which was created by Growth Opps in 2020. The goal of the Green Bank is more than just access to solar power for residents of poor communities. It's a step towards fundamentally restructuring the regional economy to disrupt intergenerational poverty, while supporting low-income Midwesterners in building wealth and improving health outcomes-all while helping the nation and the globe address climate change.
Growth Opps Founding CEO Michael Jeans has been working towards this for years. He has appeared on the City Club stage before as a moderator and panelist in support of the efforts of others in our community. Join us as he takes center stage to share his vision for a greener-and more inclusive-future.