Pouya Najmaie
Community Solar for Community Wealth
Cooperative Energy Futures | Minneapolis, Minnesota
Cooperative Energy Futures (CEF) is a member-owned, renewable energy cooperative serving low to moderate income communities most impacted by energy insecurity. In response to the overlapping environmental and economic crises, CEF envisions a future where there are teams of people in every community collaboratively governing the energy systems they need to thrive.
Today, CEF is working toward this vision by building member-owned clean energy projects that generate community wealth while addressing historic injustice. Their Community Solar Gardens expand access to clean, affordable energy by allowing anyone with a utility bill to benefit, and creating local jobs in the process.
Cooperative Energy Futures has financed and developed 6.9MW (~$16M) of low-income-accessible community solar arrays that are cooperatively-owned-and-operated across urban, suburban, and rural Minnesota.These projects will reduce the utility bills of over 700 Minnesota households for the next 25 years, ultimately, advancing their vision of Energy Democracy: creating a just and sustainable future for all.
Cooperative Energy Futures believes that community collaboration is key because, while one person can only influence their own energy bills and use, many people acting together can change the entire landscape of the energy system!
Pouya Najmaie