Willdan’s Post

Thank you Rachel Wainer for leading such a valuable strengths coaching workshop. And thanks to Mak Nagle for his leadership in seeing it through on our side. The question we are asking ourselves is, "how do we successfully originate, develop, construct, and operate #utility scale #solar and #BESS projects?" It starts with a team of bright and creative people. Thanks to this session and the ongoing coaching it now also includes a framework for how to build and empower project teams based on the unique strengths of the individuals.   Cannot recommend this enough. I'm sure there is value for many different industries, but especially if your workflow involves cross-functional project teams, this is a powerful tool to succeed on your objectives.

BlueWave Subject: Request for Assistance with Doctoral Dissertation Research B- Corp (United States Army Veteran) Dear B-Corporation Leaders, I hope this message finds you well. My name is Maurice Gray Jr., and I am currently a doctoral candidate at National University pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration. I am reaching out to request your invaluable assistance with my dissertation research. My research focuses on conducting a research study to develop an understanding of managers of an organization development and implementation of CSR strategies along with learning how such strategies contribute to an organization and community’s positive outcomes., and I am particularly interested in the perspectives and experiences of leaders within B-Corporations. To gain a comprehensive understanding, I aim to conduct surveys and in-depth interviews with at least 12 leaders from B-Corporations. The insights from these interviews are crucial for the success of my dissertation. However, securing these interviews has proven to be quite challenging. Without the participation of B-Corporation leaders, I risk not meeting the requirements for my dissertation, which could ultimately result in my being dropped from the doctoral program. I am kindly requesting your support in facilitating these surveys and interviews. Your organization's assistance would be instrumental in ensuring that I can gather the necessary data to complete my doctoral research. Specifically, I would appreciate if you could: 1. Identify and connect me with leaders within your organization who would be willing to participate in a survey and a follow-up interview. 2. Share any resources or networks that could help me reach other B-Corporation leaders. Your support in this matter would not only contribute significantly to the advancement of academic research but also help in promoting the values and impact of B-Corporations within the scholarly community. I am more than willing to share the findings of my research with your organization and ensure that any data shared is handled with the utmost confidentiality and respect. Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to the possibility of collaborating with your organization and am hopeful for a positive response. Best regards, Maurice Gray Jr  [email protected] [email protected] National University Doctor of Business Administration  If you have any questions or concerns regarding your rights as a subject in this study, you may contact the Institutional Review Board (IRB) via email at [email protected]

Back in 2015, I agreed to embark on the unpredictable, emotional, and slightly insane ride that is entrepreneurship, convinced by the indomitable Steph Speirs that we could build an organization that looked and felt different and operated from a set of deeply held values. Now, nearly ten years later, I'm taking over as CEO. While the moment is bittersweet, I couldn't be more excited about what lies ahead for Solstice. Equity in clean energy, something for which we have fought from the beginning and is core to Solstice's DNA, is not just an afterthought anymore - it's now baked into policy with the passage of the IRA and increasingly a requirement in state-level community solar programs. This recent story from one of our community partners, Vee Likes, Development Director for Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization (https://kocoonline.org/), demonstrates the impact affordable and accessible clean energy can have on communities: “More than 60-70% of our members are renters, many are seniors, and almost all are rent-burdened and struggling with issues associated with living in close proximity to the fossil fuel industry and traffic-induced pollution. These communities do not have the type of investments they should in economic opportunities. Many are aware of what solar is, but actually understanding what community solar is and does for them, is not common. Our partnership with Solstice plays a strong part in educating communities. You don’t have to own a house to benefit from clean energy...folks are reminding us that they have the fundamental right to have equitable access and participation in the new clean energy economy here in Illinois.” I'm incredibly proud of stories like this, our team, the culture we have created, and the impact we have had. It wouldn't have been possible without Steph at the helm, and I will be forever grateful for her partnership throughout this wild journey. As Solstice’s CEO, I will drive forward the mission to bring clean energy to every community while treating our customers and partners with care and integrity. I feel tremendous gratitude for how far we’ve come and am looking forward to Solstice’s next chapter. Sandhya Murali Co-founder & CEO, Solstice

Engaging with policymakers and our local communities is a win-win🙌 As a company, we recognise the value of collaborating closely with authorities and the communities where we operate. Here’s why it matters: ✔️ We can provide insights and contribute to informed decisions. ✔️ An open dialogue with our local communities fosters trust. ✔️ We listen, learn, and work together to address shared challenges. Last week, SVP Projects and Technology in OKEA, Knut Gjertsen, met with Norskehavsrådet to discuss our strategic initiatives. Key topics included👇 🔹 Draugen: Ongoing efforts to extend its life-time. 🔹 Hasselmus: Our first development project as operator. 🔹 Power from shore: Offsetting CO2 emissions by nearly 200,000 tonnes per year. 🔹 Activities in the Norwegian Sea: Our commitment to the region. Norskehavsrådet, comprising county mayors from Nordland, Trøndelag, and Møre og Romsdal, along with the municipalities Kristiansund, Vikna, Verdal, Stjørdal, Hemne, Hitra, Aure and Aukra, serves as a consensus body. They discuss energy matters and engage in dialogues with government officials and operating companies. Together, we can achieve more!

Reimagining mobility Some of the most encouraging signs of progress this year came from electric vehicles. Transportation accounts for nearly one-third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and most of that pollution comes from cars and trucks. People in the U.S. bought more than 1 million EVs this year, and the country could have 30 million of them by 2030. To manage this transition, the nation needs hundreds of thousands of public charging ports, and it is racing to build them. A $5 billion federal program is underway to install them along the nation’s highways. California hit 10,000 public EV fast chargers this year, and Walmart announced plans to build its own network. Tesla is opening its vast charging network to other automakers. EVs won’t just change how we get around — their batteries can transform how we power our homes and even the grid. When those batteries retire, they could lead a productive second life as storage for clean energy before being recycled at one of the numerous recycling facilities being built all over the country. While 95 percent of the critical materials in batteries are infinitely recyclable, we need to reduce our reliance on cars to minimize how much of these materials we extract from the earth. Electric buses or new passenger rail lines like the one that opened in Honolulu will help, as will micromobility programs like a nonprofit community-led bikeshare in New Orleans. Grist eBliss Global, Inc. Spoke Tomberlin USA Motiv Power Systems Water Foundry Ventures #emobility #evehicles #ebikes #safestreets #ecofriendly #lastmiledelivery #lastmilelogistics #lastmile

A reminder there is one week to go until our event - 'Future proofing your talent pipeline and delivering social value'. Introducing our fourth and final speaker - details below and do get in touch if you would like to join (remote joining also available!)

In a recent interview with El Viento Digital, Angelo Sartori, director, regional engagement, explained that Verra is a nonprofit organization that helps drive finance to projects that have environmental and social impacts. He particularly focused on Verra's Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program, in which a number of forestry and land use projects are registered. Angelo emphasized that Verra is committed to advancing climate action and sustainable development through its standards programs. He also highlighted the signing of the MOU with the government of Bolivia, specifically with the Plurinational Authority of Mother Earth (APMT). Under this MOU, Verra will hold trainings for local stakeholders who are developing projects in the VCS Program or are planning on doing so. Angelo thinks that REDD and Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) projects, in particular, have a lot of potential in forest-rich Bolivia. Neighboring countries with similar ecosystems, such as Brazil and Peru, include a large number of VCS projects that have benefited the rural and/or indigenous communities in the region. Watch the full interview (in Spanish) here: https://bit.ly/49SRCJy #Verra #CarbonMarkets #CarbonCredits #ClimateChange

If you are an #SMB you can run a sustainability challenge for #Earthday for Free. See the details below, and get your team engaged for your corp #sustainability goals.

How many trees-worth of carbon was sequestered from the environment by PV Squared's 2023 installations alone? Our collective impact grows with each year’s new installations, providing exponential benefits to our environment and community. Want to be a part of the 2024 Impact? Get started today! https://lnkd.in/evjSRaXe

⚡ From an all-electric neighbourhood to a city-wide virtual power plant, 6 towns and cities are testing solutions for Europe's first wave of Local Energy Action Plans (LEAPs) ⚡ 🏠 Stad Gent is piloting flexibility solutions for an all-electric neighbourhood  ♨ Stad Antwerpen is piloting new techniques to manage electric vehicles and heating  🚛 Gemeente Dordrecht is piloting flexibility for one of Europe’s first climate neutral business parks  🚘 Bremen is piloting new infrastructure for a fleet of shared electric cars  🏭 Fredericia Kommune is piloting a virtual energy community to support its local industry  🔌 Varberg Energi is developing a city-wide virtual power plant for Varberg    Learn more about the Europe's first LEAP pilots: https://lnkd.in/d5FzA4DE These pilots are supported by E.DSO, Climate Alliance, Cambridge Cleantech, Ghent University, Aalborg University, Center Denmark, and cambio StadtAuto Bremen CarSharing GmbH with funding from the Interreg North Sea Programme.