Supporting community organizations, NGOs, research and industry associations
The benefits we’re able to people, the planet and our industry are enhanced through collaborative initiatives with our partners. At Lightsource bp, we’re excited to support and work with organizations that share our desire to create a more sustainable, resilient and equitable world for present and future generations. Below we have highlighted some of our key partners who are helping us achieve these goals.
Investing in communities across the U.S.A.
Our Community Relations team works closely with local stakeholders to ensure that our solar projects bring benefits beyond renewable energy.
For local communities that are home to our projects, we donated more than $515,000 in 2023 alone. We encourage our team members to volunteer in these communities as well. You can learn about some of the organizations we have supported below.
If you would like to connect with one of our community relations managers, please email USCommunityRelations@Lightsourcebp.com.
Montgomery Area Food Bank
Montgomery County, Alabama
Riverview School District
White County, Arkansas
Elverta Elementary Schools
Sacramento County, California
Arkansas Monarch Conservation Partnership
Conserving habitat for pollinator species
The Arkansas Monarch Conservation Partnership (AMCP) is working to create, enhance and conserve habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinator species across the state. Due to habitat loss and other factors, including climate change, monarch populations have sharply declined over the last twenty years. So much so, that they are now included on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. That’s one reason why Lightsource bp and the AMCP are teaming up to create a haven for monarchs at Conway Solar at Happy, our utility-scale solar farm in White County, Arkansas. The 135MW solar farm will house a five-acre native pollinator garden with a high density of diverse plants, providing habitat and critical nectar for monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Lightsource bp signed a memorandum of cooperation in February 2022, joining over two dozen other organizations who share in the partnership’s mission and vision.
HandsOn Bay Area
San Francisco, California
Root & Rebound
California
Care and Share
Pueblo, Colorado
GRID Alternatives
Pueblo, Colorado
United Way of Pueblo County
Pueblo, Colorado
Henry County Healthy Communities
Henry County, Indiana
Minnequa Elementary School
In-school food pantry for Pueblo children
Lightsource bp first partnered with Minnequa Elementary in 2020, sponsoring a “Send Hunger Packing” program at the school with the Care & Share food bank. Since then, we have since been sponsoring an ongoing and a snack program and food pantry at the school annually, which includes shelf stable groceries as well as fresh produce in order to ensure the students and their families have everyday access to food. Lightsource bp has also made a donations to the school’s student activity fund, in order to provide students with after-school community excursions as experiential enrichment learning and as an incentive for academic achievement. Minnequa Elementary is located within a few miles of Lightsource bp’s Bighorn and Sun Mountain solar farms.
Merillville Schools
Merillville, Indiana
Pulaski County Forward Thinking Leadership
Pulaski County, Indiana
Quail Forever
East Central Indiana
Rush County Community Foundation
Rush County, Indiana
Upskill SB
South Bend, Indiana
Adopt-A-Grandparent
Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana
St. Landry Parish Community Fund
Investing in St. Landry Parish
As part of our commitment to supporting the community home to our Prairie Ronde solar farm, we have dedicated a St. Landry Parish Community Fund. We are working with community members to ensure the fund is used for initiatives that benefit the community to address its needs and what matters most. To date, we have allocated funds to the following local initiatives:
- A new Welcome Center for the St. Landry Parish Veteran’s Memorial. The space will feature information, displays and visuals for visitors of the center, which honors parish veterans who served in wars over the last century.
- Funding for multiple local schools to supporting purchasing equipment for athletics, playground updates and classroom learning, including:
- New football helmets for Plaisance Middle School
- Classroom supplies for Family Worship Christian Academy
- Athletic equipment for the St. Landry Parish School Board
- Athletic field lighting for Opelousas Catholic
- Playground updates at Grand Prairie Elementary
- Ecole St. Landry Elementary
- Fund directly to classroom teachers via DonorsChoose
- The Town of Washington Historic Downtown restoration project
- St. Anne’s Catholic Church roof repairs
Market at the Mill
New Roads, Louisiana
New Roads Lions Club
New Roads, Louisiana
Pointe Coupee Parish Parks & Recreation
Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana
Mississippi Delta Community College
Indianola, Mississippi
Fayette Local School District
Fayette, Ohio
Cambridge Springs Schools
Cambridge Township, Pennsylvania
Espy Volunteer Fire Department
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
Lightstreet Community Fire Company
Columbia County, Pennsylvania
Penncrest School District
Crawford County, Pennsylvania
Everyone’s Playground
Inclusive play for all
Everyone’s Playground is an all-inclusive, barrier free playground. It was created to accommodate children and others with special needs, disabilities, and other challenging conditions. The final phase of Everyone’s Playground is the addition of an ADA-compliant Comfort Station. This changing area and restroom facility will accommodate individuals and their caregivers with the latest personal needs and sanitary equipment, while insuring complete privacy. After two years of fundraising, the Comfort Station is finally complete, supported by a contribution from Lightsource bp.
Every consideration was given to the safety and convenience of the user in a friendly and home-like surrounding. The Comfort Station location is within steps of Everyone’s Playground, a picnic pavilion, fresh drinking water, and comfortable “Buddy Benches” snuggled among a grove of beautiful shade trees.
Walker Township Park District
Juniata County, Pennsylvania
West Manchester Township Fire
York County, Pennsylvania
York County Reentry Coalition
York County, Pennsylvania
York Day Early Learning
York County, Pennsylvania
Barry Volunteer Fire Department
Navarro County, Texas
Italy Independent School District
Ellis County, Texas
Lamar County Disaster Relief
Supporting tornado relief near Impact Solar
Following a devastating tornado through Lamar County and the Red River Region of Texas in November 2022, Lightsource bp provided support to organizations aiding in disaster relief efforts. The impacted area neighbors our Impact Solar project in Deport, Texas. We supported the following disaster relief initiatives in the immediate aftermath of the tornado:
- Supporting the Red River County Fire Association
- Helping Lamar County helped provide funds for temporary housing, as well as equipment and manpower to clean up debris following the disaster.
- Helping Lamar Avenue Church of Christ provide housing, food and whatever else affected families may have needed.
- United Way fund established to assist victims as they move into new housing by paying for a deposit and first month’s rent, utilities and other necessities.
Partnering with NGOs
We are proud to partner with numerous NGOs whose values and mission reflect our own. Learn about some of these groups below.
24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact
Joining the movement for sustainable energy 24/7
We have joined a global group of companies, policymakers, investors, and organizations on a mission to realize a 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy future for all. This means that every kilowatt-hour of electricity consumption is met with carbon-free electricity sources. Through the 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) Compact, we will work together to develop and scale technologies, energy policies, procurement practices, and solutions to transform the broader energy system and enable rapid and cost-effective carbon-free energy — every hour, every day, everywhere.
Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund
Enhancing pollinator value with solar synergy
The Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund has been partnering with solar energy developers since 2019, seeking to enhance the benefits of renewable energy by establishing conservation habitat at solar sites. In early 2023, the NGO announced a new Solar Synergy program, which provides multiple benefits to utility-scale solar developers seeking to cultivate high-quality pollinator habitats at their projects. Some of these benefits include high-value pollinator seed mixtures, extensive monitoring of pollinator health, carbon sequestration documentation and increased opportunity to produce honey at solar projects. Honeysuckle Solar in Indiana will be Lightsource bp’s first project to participate in the program.
Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute (REWI)
Ensuring that renewable energy and wildlife can thrive in tandem
The U.S. renewable energy industry must accelerate the pace at which clean generation is built, but this development has to be guided by a commitment to long-term sustainability. We’re proud to be part of the Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute, which is advancing the science needed to answer complex questions about how this expansion can occur in tandem with conserving the natural environment.
Texan by Nature
Advancing conservation and business in partnership
Lightsource bp is a business member of Texan by Nature, which partners with industry to advance conservation opportunities in the Lone Star State. The group has connected us with organizations, experts and ideas to help create wildlife habitat, engage communities and boost biodiversity at our Texas solar farms.
USA Renewable Energy Industry Groups and Trade Associations
Lightsource bp engages with industry associations across the United States to advance the energy transition. With a view to strengthen and grow the solar and energy storage industries, we are active leaders within numerous industry groups. Learn more about some of our partners below.
Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)
Helping build a strong solar industry to power America
Lightsource bp is on the Board of Directors of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the national trade association for the United States solar industry. We believe it is important for the solar industry to work together to support and accelerate solar energy around the country, in order to meet our industry-wide goal of achieving 30% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030. Our participation and leadership within SEIA programs and committees helps us advance our own goals, while establishing best-practices for the industry.
For example, Lightsource bp is committed to managing our solar farms throughout their entire life cycle, including the responsible end-of-life management of solar equipment. The association has created a national PV recycling member-based program that aggregates the services offered by recycling vendors and PV manufacturers, making it easier to select a cost-effective and environmentally responsible end-of-life management solution. That means we can confidently utilize PV recycling facilities that have been fully vetted by SEIA – with the assurance that the panels will be processed here in the U.S., and that the facilities strive for maximum material recovery and second-life usage.
Additionally, Lightsource bp is participating in SEIA’s DEIJ Certification Program. As of 2022, we have earned Bronze Certification by taking actionable steps to advance our internal diversity practices in the United States.
American Clean Power (ACP)
Championing energy transformation in the U.S.A.
Lightsource bp is actively engaged with the American Clean Power Association, a leading federation of renewable energy companies advancing clean energy as America’s dominant power source. In 2021, Lightsource bp’s Bighorn Solar project was highlighted as part of the group’s #AmericanCleanPowerWeek campaign.
American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA)
Combining solar and agriculture
Lightsource bp is a sponsor of the American Solar Grazing Association. ASGA promotes grazing sheep on solar sites to maintain the land and provide an additional source of income to local farmers. Properly managed grazing can also improve soil health and increase the cycling of nutrients, carbon, water and energy.
Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA)
Customer-driven clean energy for all
Purchasing solar power enables organizations to meaningfully advance their global carbon reduction and renewable energy goals and, importantly, drive the transition to a low-carbon economy. Lightsource bp is a member of the Clean Energy Buyers Association, which brings together more than 300 energy customers, energy providers and non-profit organizations with a shared goal of achieving a 90% carbon-free U.S. electricity system by 2030.
Women of Renewable and Sustainable Energy (WRISE)
Ensuring diversity and equity within renewable energy
Lightsource bp is a sponsor of WRISE, a national nonprofit organization that imagines a transformed energy ecosystem where all people and our planet thrive.
Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) accelerates the transition to a sustainable and equitable energy future by igniting the collective power of community
Regional Industry Associations
Lightsource bp is engaged with industry groups working to advance solar and energy storage at the state or regional level, including:
- Advanced Power Alliance: A renewable energy and technology trade association working in 11 states across the southern United States and Great Plains region.
- Clean Grid Alliance: Clean Grid Alliance has been advocating for renewable energy for over 20 years, focusing in the MISO North interconnection region of the Midwestern United States.
- Colorado Solar & Storage Association: Advancing solar and storage deployments, highlighting emerging trends, and improving industry connections throughout the state of Colorado.
- Kentucky SEIA: KYSEIA is the Kentucky Chapter of the Solar Energy Industry Association, and the preeminent solar industry group in the state.
- MAREC Action: MAREC Action is a coalition of renewable energy developers, equipment manufacturers and public interest organizations working to promote renewable energy in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States.
- Utility Scale Solar Energy Coalition of Ohio: An association of solar developers operating in the state, the group’s mission is to provide transparency and education for Ohio communities, as well as advocate for public policy that will help advance the solar industry in Ohio. L
Kentucky Sheep & Goat Development Office
Lightsource bp is committed to advancing opportunities for co-located sheep farming on solar projects across the United States. In 2022, we partnered with the the Kentucky Sheep & Goat Development Office and Kentucky Sheep and Wood Producers Association to hold a “Solar Grazing 101” event as a participating sponsor. The event, attended by dozens of farmers and other stakeholders, provided practical information and resources for the basics of solar grazing and how to get started. Many of these resources, including presentations by Lightsource bp staff, can be found on the Solar Grazing page of the office’s website here.
Advancing knowledge with universities and researchers
Several Lightsource bp sites host activities for academic research and hands-on learning, with universities and other public research institutions.
Pollinator Habitat Aligned with Solar Energy (PHASE) Study
Researching the benefits of pollinator conservation at Bellflower Solar
NYSERDA with the American Solar Grazing Association
Researching the impacts of agrivoltaics
We know that co-locating sheep on solar farms is a win-win-win for grazers, developers and the planet, but how do we measure the impacts? Our long-time partners at the American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA) are conducting a two-year study at more than 30 operational solar grazing sites across the Northeastern US, including at Lightsource bp’s Nittany 1 project in Pennsylvania. The study, sponsored by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), is examining both the environmental and economic impacts of sheep grazing on solar farms, a prevalent form of agrivoltaics.
Penn State University
Driving educational opportunities for university students
Penn State and Lightsource bp have formed an innovative partnership designed to be a national model in sustainability. As part of our partnership, Lightsource bp is providing real-world hands-on experience for PSU students through research grants, internships and classroom projects.
- To date, Lightsource bp has provided three long-term research grants to PSU students and faculty
- We sponsored a hands-on capstone design project for PSU engineering students, providing mentorship from the Lightsource bp team
- Our Communications team has partnered with a Sustainable Marketing course at PSU two times to involve students in real-world projects
- Our Business Development team led a semester-long project for students in an MBA program
- We have provided internships to at least 7 PSU students to date, one of whom has since become a full-time employee
Shippensburg University
Studying ecological impacts of solar
Researchers from the Shippensburg University Geography & Earth Science Department are conducting research at our Nittany 1, 2 and 3 solar farms to learn how converting farmland to solar fields affects soil properties, carbon dynamics and biodiversity. Dr. Russell Hedberg and Dr. Claire Jantz are leading the inquiry into the nexus of ecosystem services, future food production, and renewable energy needs.