In the mid-1930s, nine out of ten rural homes in the US did not have electricity. On May 21, 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act, which led to the organization of rural electric cooperatives across the country. Today, about 900 consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric utilities, including generation and transmission cooperatives, serve 42 million people across the US, including 92% of persistent poverty counties, and provide power to more than 21.5 million entities in 48 states. Not only do cooperatives work to provide reliable, safe electric service to their members, but they also lead the way in developing partnerships to support economic and sustainable development for their communities. Sol Systems has partnered with three of these electric cooperatives in North and South Carolina to address critical home health and safety repairs, weatherize homes, and enable energy efficiency upgrades with the effect of reducing energy burden and creating bill savings for low- and moderate-income(LMI) households. The partnership will also include electrification of home appliances, which transitions homes away from propane and results in improvements to air quality and health. Furthermore, the partnership will provide on-ramps to unlock access to additional public and/or private funding programs and support local jobs by funding the various entities involved in providing energy efficiency solutions.

The partnership is part of Sol Systems’ “Pathway to Solarization", which envisions an equitable and sustainable transition to a clean energy economy through education, workforce development, as well as individual and community resiliency and solar asset generation. Aiken Electric Cooperative (AEC) is a not-for-profit electric cooperative with the mission of providing reliable, safe electric service to its members at the lowest cost possible. With over 50,000 members, AEC serves Aiken, Barnwell, Calhoun, Edgefield, Greenwood, Lexington, McCormick, Orangeburg, and Saluda counties. Aiken’s “Help My House” program is the conduit for identifying participants and implementing the program.

Aiken Electric Cooperative (AEC) is a not-for-profit electric cooperative with the mission of providing reliable, safe electric service to its members at the lowest cost possible. With over 50,000 members, AEC serves Aiken, Barnwell, Calhoun, Edgefield, Greenwood, Lexington, McCormick, Orangeburg, and Saluda counties. Aiken’s “Help My House” program is the conduit for identifying participants and implementing the program.

Santee Electric Cooperative (SEC) is a not-for-profit electric cooperative with the mission of providing reliable, safe electric service to its members at the lowest cost possible. SEC serves Williamsburg, Clarendon, Georgetown, and Florence counties, with over 40,000 members. Forty percent of Santee’s residential structures are mobile homes. Santee also serves some persistent poverty counties in South Carolina. Santee’s “Help My House” program is the conduit for identifying participants and implementing the program.

Roanoke Electric Cooperative (Roanoke) is a not-for-profit electric cooperative with the mission of providing reliable, safe electric service to its members at the lowest cost possible. Roanoke serves portions of Bertie, Halifax, Hertford, Northampton, Gates, Perquimans, and Chowan Counties whose total population is 125,000. 6 out of 7 county service areas are ranked Tier 1 for economic distress in the state (all but Gates County) which is ranked by a composite of four economic factors that include income and unemployment along with population growth and adjusted tax base per capita. The quality of housing stock in the area is a factor that affects energy consumption, especially among high-bill members of Roanoke. Roanoke’s “Upgrade to Save" program is the conduit for identifying participants and implementing the program.