Positively 124th Street: GRID Alternatives in Compton

GRID Alternatives Greater Los Angeles closed out the last days of March with solar electric systems installed at no cost for two low-income families on 124th Street in Compton. These solar installation projects were supported by a grant from the Southern California Gas Company, which is supporting 25 solar electric installations for low-income families in 2012 as part of their Bettering the Air We Breathe Campaign. These two solar electric systems in Compton will reduce monthly energy costs for the Carter and Bryant families by nearly 70% and 94% respectively, and together will reduce over 260 tons of greenhouse gasses, the equivalent of planting over 760 trees, making the air we all breathe in Los Angeles just a little bit cleaner.

The volunteers who worked on the Carter project (pictured above or click here for more photos) come from many different backgrounds and training programs, such as the East Los Angeles Skills Center and the Harbor Occupational Center. Longtime Public Affairs Manager Dennis Lord visited the site and even joined the group on the roof. Dennis (who by the way is very tall, as in has has-met-and-is-actually-taller-than-Magic-Johnson" tall) expressed his support for the tangibility and immediate impact of GRID's work, saying, "It's very impressive, GRID is really out here getting the job done," and shared some neighborly conversation with Ms. Carter, who expressed her gratitude for the support of SoCal Gas in helping to make solar happen for her family.

The volunteers who worked on the Bryant project were a single group from the Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC). Adewale OgunBadejo, GRID Alternatives’ Volunteer and Training Coordinator, is particularly excited about GRID’s growing partnership with the LATTC. Mr. OgunBadejo formerly worked with the African American Political & Economic Institute at California State University, Dominguez Hills, but attended the LATTC himself before joining GRID Alternatives.

“The LATTC has a great Solar PV program but I know from my own experience how different the theory can be from the actual practice when it comes to solar installation,” Mr. OgunBadejo comments. “These students are transitioning from other construction related fields and are trying to learn a new trade and find work in the solar industry. Getting this hands-on installation experience with GRID Alternatives is going to help these students get state certification make them much more competitive in the marketplace when it’s time to look for a job.”

With the support of individual donations and grants from Foundations, Corporations, and Utilities, like Southern California Gas, GRID Alternatives is quietly transforming the Los Angeles neighborhoods that are hardest hit by unemployment, foreclosures, and pollution by providing affordable solar power for struggling families and solar installation training and hands-on experience for job seekers, while reducing pollution for all of us, one rooftop at a time.

Southern California Gas Co. has been delivering clean, safe and reliable natural gas to its customers for more than 140 years. It is the nation’s largest natural gas distribution utility, providing service to 20.9 million consumers through nearly 5.8 million meters in more than 500 communities. The company’s service territory encompasses approximately 20,000 square miles throughout Central and Southern California, from Visalia to the Mexican border. SoCalGas is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE).