National Grid Renewables Pledges to Donate $720,000 to Illinois School District

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, National Grid Renewables announced its pledge to donate an estimated $720,000 to the Kansas, Illinois School District through its 200 megawatt (MW) Prairie Wolf Solar Project (Prairie Wolf or the project) located in Coles County, Illinois. Prairie Wolf will support The Prairie Wolf Education Fund via annual donations of approximately $36,000 over a twenty-year period.

"This donation allows Kansas Schools the opportunity to add materials and supplies to our curriculum that would otherwise be impossible," commented Cindy Spencer, Superintendent for Kansas School District. "We are very grateful to National Grid Renewables for their generous gift to our district."

As part of its community-focused and farmer-friendly foundation, National Grid Renewables initiates charitable funds for each of its owned and operational large scale renewable energy projects. The purpose of these charitable funds is to engage in, assist, and contribute money to charitable and/or community activities and opportunities within the project communities. The gifts donated by the charitable funds are above and beyond any tax revenue delivered by National Grid Renewables' projects.

The Prairie Wolf Education Fund will receive its first donation from Prairie Wolf approximately one year after the project reaches commercial operation. Prairie Wolf, which is currently under construction, is anticipated to begin operation by the end of 2021, informing an estimated first annual donation in 2022.

"We are committed to acting as good stewards to the communities we serve - and through our projects that are currently under construction or in operation, National Grid Renewables has pledged over $3.7 million in charitable giving over the next twenty years," stated David Reamer, Head of Development, US Onshore Renewables for National Grid Renewables. "As a dedicated member of our projects' host communities, we are proud to support our nationwide neighbors through these charitable funds." 

Using the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator, Prairie Wolf is estimated to offset carbon dioxide emissions by 285,000 metric tons annually during operation. Prairie Wolf will also benefit local and statewide economies through the production of new tax revenue, the creation of jobs, and increased local spending.

About National Grid Renewables
National Grid Renewables, part of the competitive, unregulated National Grid Ventures division of National Grid (NYSE: NGG), develops, owns and operates large-scale renewable energy assets across the United States, including solar, wind and battery storage. As a farmer-friendly and community-focused business, National Grid Renewables develops projects for corporations and utilities that seek to repower America's electricity grid by reigniting local economies and reinvesting in a sustainable, clean energy future.

National Grid Renewables has a robust development pipeline of wind, solar and battery storage projects in various stages of development throughout the United States, as well as geographically diverse operational assets across the country. It supports National Grid's vision of being at the heart of a clean, fair, and affordable energy future for all. To learn more about National Grid Renewables, visit www.nationalgridrenewables.com or follow the company on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Contact: Lindsay T. Smith
Director, Marketing & Communications
National Grid Renewables
[email protected]
Media Relations: 612.429.7050

SOURCE National Grid Renewables