Salt Lake City announces partnership to bolster environmental resiliency in historically excluded communities

Sept. 19, 2024

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Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall announced an innovative partnership with Solar Stewards to fund solar, air quality, and community resilience projects in historically underserved areas of Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City is exchanging renewable energy certificates (known as RECs) produced on its solar array at the Sorenson Multicultural Center through a unique Social REC® model with Solar Stewards for financial contributions. Okta is the first identified buyer of Salt Lake City's Social REC® via the Solar Stewards' Marketplace.

"Salt Lake City is not only investing in solar energy to power our municipal operations and reduce pollution," said Mayor Mendenhall, "we have also formed a unique partnership that will help us invest money from that solar back into the community."

Since the late 1990s, RECs have transformed markets for renewable energy around the world by allowing renewable energy generators to connect with clean energy buyers, regardless of where the energy is generated or used. Solar Stewards has taken that model and combined it with a social mission focused on restorative justice commitments from private-sector leaders. Their Marketplace aggregates solar sites into portfolios of scale to attract Social REC® buyers.

The 115-kilowatt rooftop solar system on the Sorenson Campus was installed in 2020, using Salt Lake City funds and a grant from Rocky Mountain Power's Blue Sky Program.

In 2022, the City's Sustainability Department began working with Solar Stewards. The collaboration was finalized this year in what the administration hopes will lay the foundation for an ongoing source of cash donations that can be used to benefit the City's historically underserved neighborhoods, one of the Mayor's 2024 goals.

Okta, the leading independent Identity partner, will be the Social REC® buyer within the Solar Stewards' Marketplace, contributing over $10,000 per year for three years with an opportunity to invest more as additional solar projects are identified or the agreement extended.

"Climate justice takes leadership and a willingness to innovate. Working with Okta and the Salt Lake City team has been extremely rewarding. Each organization's dedication to serving those most vulnerable to climate change serves as a model and an inspiration," said Dana Clare Redden, founder of Solar Stewards.

The contributions will be used over the next three years to support a range of projects, from providing gap financing or grants to increase access to rooftop solar for under-served homes or businesses; supporting research into and mitigation for poor indoor air quality in Salt Lake City homes and schools; helping our city microgrant programs do more to further environmental justice; or other identified needs.

"We are grateful to both Okta and Solar Stewards for their commitment to environmental resiliency and community impact," said Debbie Lyons, Sustainability Department Director. "We know Salt Lake City's Westside neighborhoods have experienced historical inequities that have led to environmental injustices such as higher instances of air pollution. The funds will help us continue to address those needs."

"We know that the impacts of climate change disproportionately affect underserved communities, including many communities of color," said Alison Colwell, Senior Director of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) and Sustainability at Okta. "We are actively taking steps to reduce our environmental footprint and to respect the right to health and clean air. Salt Lake City understands the urgency of this work and we congratulate their staff for embracing innovative funding models."

Salt Lake City expects to increase distributed solar installations through other federal grants in the coming years, including the Environmental Protection Agency's Solar for All and the Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant (EECBG), both of which provide potential opportunities to increase Social REC® investments back into the community.

About Solar Stewards

Solar Stewards creates real-world opportunities for a more inclusive clean energy economy. Our consultancy provides a toolkit for collaboration, equity, and impact in renewable energy development for organizations that serve the community such as affordable housing, universities and schools, non-profits, and municipalities. Through our unique model, we combine both environmental and social attributes to help committed private-sector leaders make strategic clean energy commitments that also directly benefit traditionally historically excluded communities.

About Okta

Okta is The World's Identity Company™. We secure Identity, so everyone is free to safely use any technology. Our customer and workforce solutions empower businesses and developers to use the power of Identity to drive security, efficiencies, and success. Learn why the world's leading brands trust Okta at okta.com.

Tags: Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant, Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Okta, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Salt Lake City Sustainability Department, Solar, solar stewards, Sorenson Multicultural Center, Sustainability

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