Climate & Environment
Clean Energy Projects
Working to accelerate an equitable transformation to a clean energy economy, Groundwork teams assist local governments, utilities, and developers in clearing the way for local renewable energy infrastructure.
SolaRISE
SolaRISE was launched to help schools and nonprofits fundraise to purchase solar and other renewable energy systems for both instruction and energy supply. Learn more about SolaRISE here.
100% Communities
We support local governments with policy and technical advice as they transition to a clean energy economy. Learn more about our 100% Clean Energy Communities work here.
What's happening now?
Clean Energy Project News
Permit Is Renewed, but Rogers City Coal Plant Still Stalled
In a quick and quiet decision, Michigan environmental regulators have given Wolverine Power Cooperative another year to break ground on its long-delayed, highly controversial Rogers City coal plant. But stricter coal plant emission limits, soaring coal-power costs, cheap natural gas, and falling demand for electricity could still doom the 600-megawatt project.
Holland OKs Gas Plant, Turns To Efficiency Projects
In an historic vote, the Holland City Council has pre-empted longstanding plans to build a highly controversial coal plant in the city and, instead, approved a natural gas-fired power plant that will likely provide more power than the town actually needs.
Momentum builds for a regional energy plan
The 88,000 people in Grand Traverse County spend $306 million a year on energy. Of those millions, 70 percent leaves the community-a huge tax and a drain on the people and the economy of the region. But what if we dedicated ourselves to making sure more of that money stays in the region? What if we embarked on a deliberate plan to cut back on those energy costs, capture the energy that’s being wasted, and invest in new energy sources locally? Those were the questions asked last week at a workshop in Traverse City.