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Invenergy to provide over 760MW in renewable energy, supporting Meta’s energy needs in line with its clean and renewable energy goals

Invenergy Services’ solar O&M teams identify diode failure and reverse polarity concerns with leading-edge analytics and drone inspections

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Solar operations and maintenance: A proactive approach to diode failure and reverse polarity

How Paul Gillham’s personal experiences with clean energy help him lead Invenergy Services’ approach to operations and maintenance

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Invenergy's community-minded approach to operations and maintenance

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U.S. offshore wind development welcomes gusts of opportunity

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Invenergy Services Surpasses Major Milestone In Managed Portfolio

Invenergy Services Brings Operations & Maintenance Expertise to Brazil

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Invenergy-Led Consortium Completes Purchase of American Electric Power’s Unregulated Renewables Portfolio

Invenergy Services’ Approach to Safety Benefits Customers

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An Introduction to Invenergy Services’ Owner’s Mindset

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Invenergy Services and Safety

The Grid Needs to Get Together

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Building renewable power projects is only one facet of the fight against climate change and environmental inequity. Fortunately, there are many organizations dedicated to addressing different aspects of this mission. To celebrate Earth Month, this month’s Impact Partnership Spotlight highlights 

 (TPL), whose mission is to create parks and protect land, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come.

Trust for Public Land is a leader in equitable access to the outdoors and works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 3 million acres of public land, created more than 5,000 parks, trails, and schoolyards, raised $84 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected more than 9 million people to the outdoors.

This year, Invenergy is supporting a project in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood developed through TPL’s 

. This project will include the revitalization of the West Side Association for Community Action (WACA) basketball court at 1916 S Drake. This project is part of an initiative called Under the Grid, to transform a one-mile stretch of land beneath the CTA’s Pink Line into an art-filled green walkway. The basketball court is within a 10-minute walk of more than 9,000 residents and is also being developed as a community gathering spot.

The design of the space is heavily influenced by community members. Local high school students have been involved in the project since its inception and attendees of a March 2021 charette voted on different elements that could be included. Given the project’s sunny location, TPL is exploring using solar energy to power court lights.

On April 18, we hosted a Lunch & Learn with TPL staff and learned about their Decision Support Tool, an interactive, web-based platform for prioritizing conservation investments and how this tool has made a difference in communities across the country. TPL experts also discussed plans around projects in their Equitable Communities Fund in Chicago, Denver, and Dallas.

Learn more about how Invenergy and our partners are making an impact at www.invenergyimpact.com

Invenergy Partners in Impact: Trust for Public Land

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Invenergy understands that to continue staying ahead of the curve in the clean energy industry, we need the best workforce on our team. And in our more than 20 years in the business, we’ve seen just how educational opportunities and a passion for the industry are important for current and prospective employees to succeed. At Invenergy, we understand these factors, in addition to prioritizing a workforce that brings a variety of backgrounds, skills and ideas to work each day, are important to our continued success.

That belief is what makes our partnership with Chicago Scholars so important. Their organization’s mission is to “uniquely select, train and mentor academically ambitious students from under-resourced communities to complete college and become the next generation of leaders” in the city.

Over the course of a seven-year period, Chicago Scholars helps students in three phases of their academic development: college access, college success and college to careers. Throughout the program, students learn how to navigate the college admissions process, self-advocacy and networking skills, career development training and more.

For the last two years, Invenergy has sponsored Chicago Scholars’ Vibrant Green Futures mainstage event, in addition to offering thought leadership during the program. This year, Rhonda Jones, Invenergy’s Vice President of Reliability Compliance, discussed how the clean energy industry can diversify its leadership ranks.

Invenergy and Chicago Scholars have worked together to invest in the next generation of leaders. This summer we welcomed Sabine Ramirez, an undergrad at Purdue University pursuing an engineering degree, to our intern class. Sabine is part of the Chicago Scholar’s EMERGE program. The EMERGE Scholars program provides students with leadership and professional development experiences through paid internships with career partners throughout Chicago.

We also established the Invenergy Scholarship, which has been awarded to two Chicago Scholars students attending a four-year college or university who want to pursue a career in renewable energy. Read on to learn about the two award recipients, Amina Alkhatib and Ntokozo “Zandie” Lawson, and how their passion for sustainability drives their future career goals.

Amina graduated at the top of her class from Senn High School’s International Baccalaureate program. Inspired to fight climate change, she is eager to study renewable energy in college and dedicate her life to protecting the environment. An athlete who loves to be outside, Amina is excited to learn more about ways in which humans can use kinetic energy to support renewable energy initiatives. Amina has participated in her high school’s service club, debate team, and Spanish club, and she is also a member of the soccer, basketball, and flag football teams. Amina’s goal is to become a leader in the renewable energy industry, inspiring and representing women of color, and making renewable energy more accessible and efficient to have a positive impact on the environment. Amina will be attending The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Zandie graduated from Senn High School, completing the academically rigorous International Baccalaureate program. A leader in her school community, Zandie served as co-founder and chair of the IB student council, a school ambassador and athlete, and a team member who planned and organized ROTC events. Motivated by an appreciation for the beauty of nature, an interest in business, and an awareness of environmental-related injustices, Zandie feels motivated to take action against climate change. As president of her high school’s Green Club, Zandie organized school clean-ups and advocated for recycling programs. Zandie also spent recent summers interning at the Chicago Botanic Garden, an experience that opened her eyes to climate change and sustainable development. These experiences solidified her commitment to making change in her community and promoting the use of renewable energy. Zandie will be attending Denison University, where she plans to major in global commerce and environmental science.

Invenergy’s Impact partnerships are a reflection of the core principles of our business and the role we want to play in a changing world. 

Invenergy Impact Partner Spotlight: Chicago Scholars

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Members of Invenergy’s Denver team recently took the day off from their laptops and meetings to do something different: climbing onto a rooftop in Westminster, Colorado, to learn how to install solar panels. Although we are experts in the clean energy industry, we relied on the certified professionals at GRID Alternatives to lead this workday.

 is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build community-powered solutions to advance economic and environmental justice through renewable energy, especially in communities most impacted by underemployment, pollution and climate change. With a common goal to expand access to clean energy solutions across the globe, we’re excited to feature GRID Alternatives for our Impact Partner spotlight.

From providing no-cost solar to qualified low-income households through its 

, a program designed to develop the skills that are most relevant to entry-level solar installation jobs, GRID is providing individuals who might not otherwise have the opportunity with several ways to be a part of the clean energy transition.

GRID also promotes access to hands-on experience with residential solar through volunteer workdays. During the Denver team’s volunteer workday, employees from engineering, social impact, and preconstruction groups, among others, used their volunteer time off to gain an understanding of installing residential solar systems through GRID’s staff and participants in their IBT program.

Sam Bernat, an analyst on Invenergy’s origination team, learned a lot from his experience with the program.

“The GRID Alternatives team helped teach us how to install the racking, panels, and wiring for the rooftop solar system. Their team was very knowledgeable, kind, and passionate about giving back to the communities in our area,” he says. “It was great to spend this time with my coworkers and to get to know a team as driven as GRID Alternatives. Overall, the experience was fulfilling, informative and fun.”

GRID also has international programming with communities in Nicaragua, Nepal, and Mexico, where they install solar electric systems to power homes, health centers, small businesses, water projects, orphanages and schools and other mission-aligned organizations.

Invenergy’s Dylan Masi, senior associate, pre-construction, participated in GRID’s Nepal trip in 2019. “Along with a group of 10 volunteers and three GRID Alternatives staff, Masi traveled to the Chitwan National Park where she installed rooftop solar and a battery bank in an off-grid eco-tourism tower.

“We met with local community members who explained how adding electricity to the tower would bring more tourists to the park, generating more revenue which would go toward local schools as well as anti-poaching initiatives and other wildlife conservation measures. The national park was beautiful – we were able to see elephants and even a big rhinoceros while working on the tower.”

Masi appreciated being able to split her time between work installing solar and storage infrastructure and learning more about Nepalese culture.

“I got to go on a safari ride in the jungle and climb to a temple in Kathmandu, among other activities, as well as do meaningful work by bringing clean energy to a small community across the world”.

Invenergy is providing financial support to participants in GRID’s IBT program, and we look forward to building on our partnership in the future.

Impact Partner Spotlight: GRID Alternatives

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From a young age, kids start thinking about what they might want to do when they grow up. Aside from some of the old favorites – like an astronaut or firefighter – KidWind is focused on adding “a job in the clean energy field” to that list. With a mission like that, Invenergy is proud to feature them as our Impact Partner of the Month.

KidWind is a non-profit organization that helps teachers and students creatively explore the science, technology and implications of a world powered by renewable energy. The program starts by providing teachers with a wealth of ideas and resources for incorporating renewable energy lessons into their curriculum. One way it supports educators is through virtual and in-person workshops and their extended REcharge Academy, Kidwind’s flagship educator training program. This four-day program comprises in-person training sessions focused on expanding teachers’ knowledge of the renewable energy industry, combined with a variety of hands-on activities they can implement to teach renewable energy concepts to their students.

Topics at the academy this year included the future of our power grid, careers in sustainable energy, energy policy and tours of renewable energy installations. As part of this year’s partnership, Invenergy sponsored two Colorado teachers to attend the 2022 REcharge Academy in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

In May, Invenergy also sponsored a three-hour KidWind Project teacher training for 14 teachers from the Blue Ridge Unified School District and surrounding areas in Illinois. These educators learned more about Invenergy’s Sapphire Sky Energy Center (250 MW, Wind, IL) and participated in activities like the MacGyver Wind Challenge, where they competed to build a device with an attached weight from a bag of basic materials that could spin in the wind and lift off the ground. To help put this training into action, Invenergy donated funding for teachers to equip their classrooms with gear for their students, along with the option for a stipend for additional gear and lesson planning assistance.

In June, Invenergy’s renewables development team in Wisconsin hosted a teacher workshop at nearby Madison Area Technical College, with a special focus on solar energy, including solar siting and installation processes. They also toured the college’s onsite solar installation labs and rooftop solar array as well as Invenergy’s Badger Hollow I Energy Center. Following the workshop, a Madison County educator had this to say about their experience: “This was an awesome workshop with just the right mix of hands-on activities, discussion and field trips. We were so happy to be able to attend to learn about some of Wisconsin's largest solar arrays and get a chance to connect with all the energy educators and experts.”

The culmination of these training programs and student instruction comes to fruition at regional and national competitions, known as KidWind Challenges. During these events, students across the U.S. present ideas for creating their own sources of wind and solar energy – taking them one step closer to choosing a career in the renewable energy sector. Invenergy’s Impact partnerships are a reflection of the core principles of our business and the role we want to play in a changing world. Learn more about how Invenergy and our partners are making an impact at www.invenergyimpact.com

Invenergy Impact Partner Spotlight: KidWind

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Supporting the communities where we live, work and operate has always been ingrained in everything we do at Invenergy.   In fact, before our projects are even constructed, our teams connect with local representatives to support events and causes that mean the most to communities where we develop. After construction, we continue to invest by allocating Invenergy Impact funds that our operating sites donate to local nonprofit organizations each year. 

In 2022, we have been proud to build on intentional partnerships with several nonprofit organizations that reflect the core principles of our business and the role we want to play in building a sustainable world.  We worked with our Invenergy Impact Partners to create numerous events and engaging programming that built on our common goals. Read on to learn more about what we have accomplished with our partners this year.

Chicago Scholars’ mission is to uniquely select, train and mentor academically ambitious students from under-resourced communities to complete college and become the next generation of leaders in the city. Over the course of a seven-year period, Chicago Scholars has helped students in three phases of their academic development: college access, college success and college to careers. Throughout the program, students learn how to navigate the college admissions process, self-advocacy and networking skills, career development training and more. 

With a common goal to support the next generation of leaders, this year Invenergy and the Chicago Scholars Foundation established the Invenergy Scholarship.  Two Chicago Scholars students who are attending a four-year college or university with an interest in a career in renewable energy received the scholarships. In April, we also sponsored Chicago Scholars’ Vibrant Green Futures mainstage event for the second year. At the event, Rhonda Jones, Invenergy’s vice president of regulatory compliance, discussed how the clean energy industry can diversify its leadership ranks. 

This summer we also welcomed Sabine Ramirez, an undergrad at Purdue University pursuing an engineering degree, to our intern class. Sabine is part of the Chicago Scholar’s EMERGE internship program. As an industry partner of that program, we hosted an EMERGE Growth Lab in July at our Chicago office. During this event, college students networked with various teams across the organization and learned from a panel of our clean energy industry experts. 

Chicago Urban League (CUL) works to achieve equity for Black families and communities through social and economic empowerment. Their programs are designed to support and strengthen the Chicago community by helping people find jobs, secure affordable housing, advance education, and grow businesses. We believe innovation is driven by diverse ideas and perspectives and Invenergy is happy to support CUL’s equitable programming in the community that houses our headquarters and our largest concentration of employees. 

One of our primary engagements with CUL in 2022 was through their IMPACT program, an initiative that strives to narrow racial disparities in leadership positions by developing and supporting emerging Black leaders.  This nine-month program features a cohort of 40 Black professionals who have demonstrated a strong track record of civil and professional leadership in their field.  For the 2022/2023 program, Invenergy proudly sponsored two program participants, one from an external organization and one current Invenergy employee – senior manager of contracts, Melissa Brinson.  

In October, Invenergy and the Black and Brown @ Invenergy affinity group also co-hosted “Watts on the Menu: A Clean Energy Transition Networking Event” with CUL at our Chicago headquarters. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from state and federal government leaders as they discussed clean energy workforce development resources and contracting opportunities for minority-owned businesses. 

In 2010, Invenergy Founder and Chief Executive Officer Michael Polsky founded Evergreen Climate Innovations (formerly Clean Energy Trust) with Nick Pritzker to build a vibrant clean-tech ecosystem in the Midwest.  Evergreen Climate Innovations provides capital and support to entrepreneurs and start-ups as a catalyst to bring critical climate technologies to market. Through its investment fund, Evergreen advances and expands access to innovation across the greater Midwest and fosters an ecosystem of investors, donors and collaborators. Evergreen created its 501vc seed fund to address the capital gap in early-stage climate tech funding. This unique investment model combines the activities of a seed fund with the legal structure of a non-profit organization, which allows Evergreen to bear a little more risk than the market and provide capital to entrepreneurs at the earliest stages of development.

We continued our partnership with Evergreen in 2022 by providing financial assistance in support of their programming, and in July we hosted Paul Siedler, managing director at Evergreen Climate Innovations, at our Chicago headquarters. He discussed the current state of climate tech innovation and venture capital funding trends to look out for.  

GRID Alternatives is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build community-powered solutions to advance economic and environmental justice through renewable energy, especially in communities most impacted by underemployment, pollution and climate change.- From providing no-cost solar to qualified low-income households through its Energy for All initiative to its Installation Basics Training (IBT), a program designed to develop the skills that are most relevant to entry-level solar installation jobs, GRID is providing individuals who might not otherwise have the opportunity with several ways to be a part of the clean energy transition.

This year, Invenergy provided financial support to participants in GRID’s Installation Basics Training program, an initiative designed to help individuals develop the relevant skills for entry-level solar installation jobs. 

In August, our Denver team engaged with GRID Alternatives by volunteering to install a residential solar system. Sam Bernat, an analyst on Invenergy’s origination team, learned a lot from his experience with the program. “The GRID Alternatives team helped teach us how to install the racking, panels and wiring for the rooftop solar system. Their team was very knowledgeable, kind and passionate about giving back to the communities in our area,” he says. “It was great to spend this time with my coworkers and to get to know a team as driven as GRID Alternatives.” 

KidWind is a non-profit organization that helps teachers and students creatively explore the science, technology and implications of a world powered by renewable energy. They provide free workshops and resources for teachers to incorporate renewable energy lessons into their curriculum, as well as their annual flagship educator training program, REcharge Academy. The culmination of these training programs and student instruction comes to fruition at regional and national competitions, known as KidWind Challenges. During these events, students present ideas for creating their own sources of wind and solar energy – taking them one step closer to choosing a career in the renewable energy sector.

Throughout the year, we worked with KidWind to host teacher trainings-near our development projects. In May, Invenergy sponsored a three-hour KidWind teacher training for 14 teachers from the Blue Ridge Unified School District and surrounding areas in Illinois. These educators learned more about Invenergy’s Sapphire Sky Energy Center (250 MW, Wind, IL) and participated in activities like the MacGyver Wind Challenge, where they competed to build a device with an attached weight from a bag of basic materials that could spin in the wind and lift off the ground. 

In June, Invenergy’s renewables development team in Wisconsin hosted a teacher workshop at nearby Madison Area Technical College with a special focus on solar energy, including solar siting and installation processes. They also toured the college’s onsite solar installation labs and rooftop solar array, as well as Invenergy’s Badger Hollow I Energy Center (150 MW, Solar, WI). Invenergy also sponsored two Colorado teachers to attend the 2022 REcharge Academy, Kidwind’s flagship educator training program. 

Through its exhibition work, the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) aims to inspire people to connect, care and commit to participating in building a dynamic and sustainable future for everyone. With this mission, MSI has been a longtime Invenergy Impact partner. MSI is the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere, and currently has over 35 experiences for the public to explore. The nonprofit also has education initiatives and learning experiences open to teachers, students and parents inside and outside the classroom.

Throughout the year, employees from Invenergy’s Chicago office participated in several volunteer events hosted by MSI. In February, employees participated in MSI’s Black Creativity Showcase, part of the museum’s Black Creativity programming during Black History Month. The mission of the program is to inspire African American children to pursue educational opportunities and careers in the fields of science, technology, medicine, and engineering, through programs and events at the museum. In June engineers from our Chicago office volunteered at “Engineer Your Future,” an interactive experience for students to explore careers in many fields of engineering. We also continued our participation in MSI’s Science Works, where students and parents can connect directly with STEM professionals and learn about their careers. Several STEM teams represented Invenergy at the event, such as renewable engineering, thermal asset management, renewable project management, renewable electrical engineering, and project controls.   

Team Rubicon is a nonprofit disaster response organization that mobilizes veterans and civilian volunteers to help people prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters and humanitarian crises in the U.S. and abroad. This year, we supported Team Rubicon International’s humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine and Invenergy employees raised more than $21,000 for to aid the country. 

Invenergy also allocated funding to Team Rubicon disaster relief efforts in October after Hurricane Fiona touched down in Puerto Rico and Hurricane Ian landed in Florida weeks later. Both storms damaged homes, businesses, and infrastructure, but Team Rubicon immediately deployed volunteers to help with debris cleanup and home repair. Invenergy donated $15,000 to support Team Rubicon in both regions. We are proud to continue supporting their future community relief efforts.

While building clean energy facilities is an important way we invest in a sustainable future, preserving green spaces for the public to enjoy is essential to equitable access to nature. Trust for Public Land’s (TPL) mission is to create parks and protect land, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Since 1972, TPL has created thousands of parks and protected millions of acres of public land and they remain committed to creating and protecting parks, trails, community forests, playgrounds, and public lands and making them available and welcoming to all. In support of this mission, Invenergy provided funding for a project in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood developed through TPL’s 

. This project will include the revitalization of the West Side Association for Community Action’s (WACA) basketball court. The project is part of an initiative called Under the Grid, an effort to transform a one-mile stretch of land beneath the CTA’s Pink Line into an art-filled green walkway. The basketball court is within a 10-minute walk of more than 9,000 residents, and it is also being developed as a community gathering spot. 

To celebrate Earth Month in April, TPL staff joined us for a hybrid in-person and virtual event where they discussed TPL’s approach to data and partnerships for equitable park development. Invenergy employees watched staff demonstrate TPL’s web-based Decision Support Tool in real time and learned how it has made a difference in communities like Camden, Dallas, and Denver. This tool is used by agencies, community groups and citizens to prioritize conservation investments.

We began our relationship with Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) in 2007 and have expanded our support of their activities over the years. Today, WRISE has a grassroots network of nearly 15,000 members and hosts workshops, webinars, and programming through its local chapters and alongside industry events each year. Some of the organization’s most important projects are its annual Wind Power and Solar Power Fellowships, which provide individuals with the opportunity to attend annual industry conferences and trade shows.

With our partnership, all Invenergy employees receive a complimentary WRISE membership and access to their events. To celebrate Women’s History Month in March, Kristen Graf, WRISE’s former executive director, spoke to our employees about her career and journey as a woman in the renewable energy industry. Graf also spoke to WRISE initiatives that are dedicated to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion both within their organization and across the clean energy industry. Graf said “The renewable energy and sustainability sector has made dramatic advancements in recent years, and yet we are still at the tip of the iceberg and have a great deal of work ahead of us. Our hope is to ensure that each organization is not reinventing that work. There are incredible experts, resources, and best practices that are already known – we want to be sure our partners have access to all they need to be successful in their diversity, equity, inclusion and justice efforts.”

Making a Difference Together: 2022 Invenergy Impact Partners

November is National Veterans and Military Families Month, a time to remember the many sacrifices made by servicemembers across the US armed forces. These men and women safeguard our security and prosperity, and each year we recognize our veterans for their service to the country. 

“The military is not just about fighting wars in foreign countries,” says Invenergy Vice President, Third Party Services Brad Purtell, who spent six years in the Navy. “It’s about protecting the American way of life, both abroad and domestically, which includes helping fellow Americans recover in their darkest hours.” 

It is in that spirit of community engagement that Purtell and Senior Manager, Operations Support Frank Santiago went to Gibson City, Illinois to volunteer with 

 to assist families displaced by flooding.

Team Rubicon is a nonprofit disaster response organization that mobilizes veterans and civilian volunteers (known as “Greyshirts”) to help people prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and humanitarian crises in the United States and abroad. The organization has responded to over 400 disasters since the group was founded in 2010. Recent activities include COVID-19 vaccine distribution, helping to resettle Afghan allies in the United States, and providing on-the-ground support in following a major earthquake in Haiti and Hurricane Ida in Louisiana. 

Invenergy has worked with Team Rubicon on a variety of disaster recovery efforts, and last year raised more than $5,000 for the organization by selling facemasks. The partnership with the organization has been spearheaded by the Invenergy Veterans Network (IVN), a company affinity group that supports veteran recruitment and engagement in clean energy and coordinates additional days of veteran-driven volunteer service. 

Down in Gibson City, Purtell and Santiago worked side by side with fellow veterans and volunteers to provide a much-needed service for the residents in their “darkest hours.” Late summer rains caused flash flooding that made almost every road in the area impassable and required the evacuation of hundreds of people from their homes. Once they were able to return, they saw how significant the flood damage was, and the volunteers got to work removing old, soiled drywall, flooring, and framing to prepare the homes for repair and rebuilding.

Santiago, who also spent six years in the Navy, was happy to get his hands dirty helping the people in Invenergy’s home state. 

“My time in the military instilled certain qualities and attributes that are long-lasting, and these qualities have shaped the way I think and work,” Santiago says. "Our deployment with Team Rubicon served as a reminder of the camaraderie and sense of purpose that allows us to carry out the mission of restoring communities and peoples' livelihoods." 

The technical skills and community-focused approach instilled during their time in the military have also helped many veterans find a new home in the renewable industry when their service ends. Approximately 10 percent of employees at the Invenergy headquarters in Chicago and 16 percent of Invenergy Services technicians are military veterans, and we’re proud to have their expertise and dedication in building a more sustainable world – and in helping the communities around us. 

Invenergy Veterans Network Members Volunteer With Team Rubicon

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FFA prepares its members for leadership in careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture through STEM education programming, career and leadership development events, local engagement, literacy, advocacy and more. The organization provides hands-on experiences that give members the tools to achieve professional success.

“I’ve benefitted both personally and professionally from FFA,” said Lee.

 Before he was an FFA advisor, Lee was a member of the Coleman FFA chapter during his high school days. He was on the FFA Officer Team, Farm Skills Team, FFA Quiz Team and the Livestock Judging Team. “I learned public speaking, problem solving, how to conduct a meeting using the rules of parliamentary procedure, and so many other skills that I use in my role with Invenergy every day.”

In honor of National FFA Week, Invenergy colleagues share their FFA experiences, how those experiences translated into their careers, and what Invenergy's FFA sponsorship means to them.

Seeding Our Future: Invenergy and the National FFA

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Last year, a Vestas V150 nacelle was damaged in transit prior to installation at the Invenergy-constructed Atchison Energy Center (300 MW, Wind, MO), the first Invenergy project in Missouri. The nacelle, which houses a turbine’s generating components, was unfortunately rendered unusable for operation, but Invenergy, Ameren, and Vestas partnered with the nearby Tarkio Technology Institute to donate the nacelle. The technical institute was happy to take the decommissioned unit for use on their campus as a hands-on learning tool for students in the school’s wind technician program. 

Located on the campus of Tarkio College in northwestern Missouri, the Tarkio Technical Institute offers wind energy coursework alongside plumbing, HVAC, welding, and computer information technology programs. Wind tech students will use the donated nacelle that is in original condition and weighs approximately 120 tons and includes the generator, gearbox, drive train, and brake assembly. The unit was delivered to Tarkio Tech’s campus in January and was dedicated at an official ceremony and ribbon cutting in late April. 

Many schools have decommissioned equipment for students to train with, but that equipment tends to be outdated, says Senior Project Manager, Renewable Project Development Louis Feldman. This nacelle, on the other hand, is a brand-new model released in 2019 to the US that is going to be deployed to new wind sites for the next ten years. “It’s a very relevant piece of equipment that’s going to provide relevant experience to wind techs in training at Tarkio Tech,” he says. 

Like many technical programs across the country, Tarkio Tech’s wind technician program provides basic teachings of wind energy technology and prepares students for entry-level wind tech positions. Programs like this equip students for work at projects like the Outlaw Wind Project, which bring well-paying and long-lasting jobs to American communities and provide revenue for schools, infrastructure, and other local needs. 

, clean energy remained the biggest job creator across America’s energy sector in 2021, employing nearly three times as many workers as fossil fuel extraction and generation trades. There are more clean energy jobs in the US than middle and elementary school teachers, bankers, farmers or real estate agents, and median wages for clean energy jobs higher than the national average. In fact, Feldman points out, Tarkio Tech’s wind tech students didn’t need to attend the school’s recent job fair – all already had wind tech jobs lined up before they graduated. 

We all deserve to share in the benefits of clean, reliable energy, and Invenergy is proud to help students become the next generation of technicians, engineers, operators, and innovators building a sustainable world.  

"This amazing donation illustrates the commitment that Invenergy has made to our young people and our community,” said Tarkio Tech’s President John Davis. The nacelle “provides Tarkio Tech’s wind students an opportunity to become familiar with the environment inside the nacelle long before their first day on the job.” 

Next Generation of Wind Energy Technicians Supported Through Invenergy, Ameren, and Vestas Nacelle Donation

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Destructive wildfires burned down nearly 1,000 homes in Boulder County, Colorado on December 30th, 2021. To provide support to those affected by the wildfires, Invenergy Impact donated $10,000 to the Boulder County Wildfire Fund, organized by the Community Foundation Boulder County. This foundation works closely with local government and nonprofit partners to provide aid to those with damaged or destroyed homes, those who were evacuated, and who lost wages due to business closure or destruction.

MLK Day of Service at the Lakeview Pantry

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 17th, members of Black and Brown @ Invenergy (BBI) embodied the "a day on, not a day off" mission for this National Day of Service. The team volunteered at the Lakeview Pantry, one of Chicago's largest and longest-operating food pantries. The Lakeview Pantry provides food, mental wellness services, and social services to all areas of Cook County, and in 2021 alone they served over 177,000 individuals. During this day of service the Invenergy team unloaded and sorted donations of food, took inventory of donations, and helped clean up The Hub, Lakeview Pantry's warehouse in Ravenswood. Pictured left to right, Matt Ball, Associate General Counsel, Legal, Joshua Harris, Senior Staff Quality Engineer, Renewable Electrical Engineering, Tom Egan, Manager, Renewable Electrical Engineering, Eyuel Gorfu, Senior Staff Engineer, Renewable Engineering, Ryan Harding, Associate General Counsel, Permitting, Reine Rambert, Senior Associate, Government Affairs, Kristin Brause, Assistant General Counsel, Legal and Rhonda Jones, Vice President, Regulatory Compliance

Camp Springs Supports the Scurry County Jr. Livestock Association

Both the 4H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) programs are important community partners across all our developing and operating projects. Last month, the 130.5-MW Camp Springs Energy Center in Texas supported the Scurry County Jr. Livestock Association with a donation to support student exhibitors in the livestock show ring. Through donations from local communities and businesses, over $540,000 was raised in total for local students! The Camp Springs team has also helped set up the stock show ring prior to the start of the show to support the program for the past five years. Jackie Roberson, Site Administrator, Victor Chapa, Wind Technician, and Justin Sullivan, Lead Wind Technician, helped-out at the event this year. Photo caption: Jackie pictured with family friend and local student Tatum Bec Price setting up for the livestock show.

Invenergy Volunteers at MSI’s Black Creativity Career Showcase

 Invenergy employees from our Chicago office volunteered at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry’s (MSI) Black Creativity Showcase. This Career Showcase is part of the larger Black Creativity programming at MSI throughout Black History Month. The mission of the program is to inspire African American children to pursue educational opportunities and careers in the fields of science, technology, medicine, and engineering, through programs and events at the museum. This year there were 17 career stations, almost 70 professionals and approximately 3,500 guests attending the event! Eyuel Gorfu, Senior Staff Engineer, Renewable Engineering, Rhonda Jones, Vice President, Regulatory Compliance, Varun Praveen, Project Manager, Renewable Project Management, and Anne-Lawrence Nemorin, Staff Engineer, Renewable Engineering represented our Chicago team at the event.

Local Nebraska FFA Chapter Presents “How Wind Energy Affects Us Today”

The Boone Central Future Farmers of America in Albion, Nebraska asked the local Invenergy Operations team to review a virtual presentation they prepared for the Nebraska State FFA for the agricultural issue contest, “How Wind Energy Affects Us Today.” The team of four provided many facts and statistics about wind power and the Operations team gave feedback based on their extensive knowledge of the industry. Among these experts are Chelsey Briese, Manager, Operations Support, Matt Krings, New Site Start Up Manager, Renewable O&M, Luke Hinkle, Director, Renewable O&M, Nick Heithoff, Thunderhead Energy Center O&M Manager, Cole Haddix, Lead Field Services Technician 3 Level 2.

Trust for Public Land Community Charrette

Utopia Hill, Head of Engineering, Procurement, and Construction at Reactivate and Alicia Russo, Senior Analyst, Social Impact, Invenergy attended a community charrette with leadership from one of Invenergy’s Impact Partners, the Trust for Public Land (TPL), various community members and associations working on the design for an Under the Grid project in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood. The local community is heavily involved in planning out the look and feel of the space, and during the charrette mood boards were scattered around the room with different elements that could be included in the space. To learn more about this project and many others part of TPL’s Equitable Communities Fund, attend the Impact Partner Lunch & Learn on Monday, April 18

VTO at the Greater Chicago Food Depository

To celebrate Wellness Week, a group from the Invenergy Chicago team focused on Community Well-Being by volunteering at the 

. The team boxed 6,040lbs of assorted foods, which equals about 2,400 meals for people in need. Sandra Enshiwat, Senior Manager, Total Rewards, Stephanie Cuddalore, Senior Accountant, International Accounting, Isabelle Pascarelli, Manager, Business Transformation, Ellen Janowski, Associate, Knowledge Management, Stephen Rodgers, Accountant, Corporate Accounting, Erin Eastwood, Senior Analyst, Business Transformation, Patrick Magnier, Project Manager, Renewable Project Management, April Alvarado, Senior HR Generalist, Foster Lewin, Technology Adoption Manager, and Jennifer Karim, Associate, Land Development all helped out at GCFD.

Colleagues at our 584-MW Nelson Energy Center in Illinois are supporting the annual Ronald Reagan 5k Run in Dixon, IL for the seventh year in a row. The event itself takes place in July, and in past years Nelson employees ran the race together as part of their team building. This year, the Reagan Run 5k Committee is awarding six $500 scholarships to students pursuing post-secondary education at a 2-year college, 4-year college/university or trade school. Rob Rooney, Nelson Plant Manager, Josh Alfaro, Nelson Maintenance Manager, and Lisa Young, Plant Administrator presented the donation to a representative for the Reagan Run.

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Impact Recap - First Quarter 2022

Kansas Renewable Team Volunteers at ReStore

In December 2021 the Kansas Renewable Development Team volunteered at the 

 in Denver. Habitat ReStores are independently owned reuse stores operated by local Habitat for Humanity organizations. ReStores accept donations and sell a constantly changing inventory of diverse, high-quality merchandise to the public at a fraction of the retail price, while diverting reusable household items and building materials from area landfills. The funds raised at Habitat Restores contribute to future Habitat for Humanity builds. 

During their VTO the team received, organized, and staged donations in the ReStore showroom. 

This month JoEllen Billotte, Analyst, Renewable Development based in our Denver office, volunteered with her church to package up 4,000 pounds of food from the 

 and distributed care packages to over 120 families in need in the Denver area. The care packages included non-perishable items and fresh produce, as well as a gift card to the grocery store, a big bag of candy, and a warm lap blanket. 

Forward Energy Center donates to Dodge County Toy Bank

The Forward Energy Center team in Wisconsin donated to the Dodge County Toy Bank in Wisconsin during this holiday season. 

The Gunsight Team Supports Big Spring Intermediate School & Local Angel Tree Program

The Gunsight Energy Center team in Texas purchased much-needed school supplies for students, teachers and staff at Big Spring Intermediate School. The site was able to donate over $2,000 of school supplies like headphones, books, dictionaries, pens, pencils, markers, scissors, highlighters, bookshelves, supply carts, classroom tables, educational games and more.

The team also participated in the yearly Salvation Army Angel Tree Program. Through the Angel Tree Program, items are collected for all ages from babies to teenagers, to seniors.

Invenergy Japan Donates to Kodomo Shokudo 

In 2021, our Japan Team donated over 2 metric tons of rice to 

, a non-profit organization based in Japan for Kodomo Shokudo, or children's cafeterias, across the country. Kodomo Shokudo are cafeterias that provide healthy free or low-cost meals to children in need. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of Kodomo Shokudo has increased by 33% across the country and while visiting children also learn about nutrition, table manners, and many offer tutoring as well. To learn more about the importance of Kodomo Shokudo in Japan, check out 

The Invenergy Portland Team volunteered with Portland Parks and Recreation to help maintain some of the trail system in Marquam Nature Park. They spend the morning removing fallen leaves from the surface and surrounding area of the trails. Once these leaves fall, they get wet and slippery causing a hazard to people utilizing the trail system. They also plug drainage systems which can cause damage to the trails if left unchecked, given the amount of precipitation that Portland receives. 

“The work we completed allowed us to enjoy the natural beauty of the park, with the added satisfaction of knowing many other people will get that chance as well.” – Zach Lea, Senior Analyst, Renewable Development

Military Order of the Purple Heart at Wake Wind Energy Center

Wake Energy Center was personally thanked by members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) for their donations over the past four years to the organization through the site's Invenergy Impact Program. Marine Corporal Steve Oien, who served in Vietnam and is the Commander of MOPH Chapter 0900, and Ron Goulette, a combat medic and member of the 101st Airborne Division, presented the Wake team with “A Purple Heart Business” proclamation and an award plaque. 

The MOPH Chapter 0900 serves veterans in the South Plains of Texas area which includes counties where Wake Energy Center and McAdoo Energy Center are located. Funds for welfare, rehabilitation and/or service work carried on by the organization are derived through the collection of used household items, the operation of thrift stores, through the donation of automobiles and monetary donations. Family members of Purple Heart recipients are eligible to belong to the Auxiliary of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, which also does important work nationally and locally in veterans’ hospitals. Learn more about MOPH and their important work 

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