Featured in Women at work – 08-2019

In conversation: Social justice solar expands, trains, empowers

Erica Mackie is the CEO of Grid Alternatives, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that has helped nearly 15,000 low-income families to go solar at no cost. It has also provided more than 42,000 people with solar education and job training. Mackie co-founded Grid Alternatives in 2001 while working as an engineer in the private sector, and since then the organization has become a driving force for access and equity in the PV industry.

By

Erica Johnson

20 Aug 2019

Erica Mackie: “The families that Grid works with pay a larger portion of their take-home pay on energy costs than the broader population, and thus have the greatest need for the benefits that solar can provide.” | Image: Grid Alternatives

pv magazine: Grid Alternatives first started serving low-income homeowners. What are the different types of projects and customers that Grid Alternatives is serving today?Erica Mackie: We believe in a clean transition that includes everyone. Grid Alternatives focuses on folks that wouldn’t otherwise be able to get solar, meaning front-line communities. We exclusively serve the front …

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