Website www.groundswell.org Founded 2009 Type Nonprofit organization | Founder Will Byrne Headquarters Washington, D.C. | |
Founders Will Byrne, Max Harper, Marcus Ryan, John Lauer, Kristen Psaki, Tony Ficarotta Key people Michelle Moore (CEO) , Quentin Anthony Anderson (Director of Communications & Marketing) | ||
Groundswell is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that aims to organize individual consumer purchases into collective community power, turn consumer engagement into civic engagement, and drive market transformation for social good. Groundswell's programs focus on clean energy and energy efficiency, and the organization claims to engage economically diverse communities by helping them to switch to clean power and participate in local energy efficiency incentives. According to the organization's annual report, since its founding in 2009, Groundswell's work has resulted in the procurement of more than 180 million kilowatt hours of clean energy for nearly 4,000 families and small businesses and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 27,500 cars off the road.
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History
Groundswell was founded in 2009 by a group of field organizers who had previously worked together on the 2008 Barack Obama Presidential Campaign. Groundswell co-founder Will Byrne served as the organization's CEO through 2014. The organization operated under two previous names, The DC Project and Weatherize DC, before becoming Groundswell. Groundswell chose Washington, D.C. as its hub because it is one of a small but growing number of places where residents are able to choose their energy suppliers.
Since then, Groundswell has grown to serve the Mid Atlantic region including Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. It is led by CEO Michelle Moore, a social enterprise entrepreneur and former White House official who helped build the global sustainability movement
Clean Energy
Groundswell organizes individual energy purchases into community buying power, enabling people and community-based businesses to work together to switch to wind or solar energy and become more efficient, often at a more competitive price.
Groundswell works with other non-profit organizations to reach out to economically diverse local communities. For example, Groundswell worked with NAACP’s Baltimore headquarters to switch the organization to 100 percent wind power. Additionally, the organization saved $7000 on its annual energy bill after the switch.
Groundswell also helps bring energy efficiency and cost savings to local businesses through its work with Washington, DC's Sustainable Energy Utility.