Nearly $1 million in clean energy grants going towards local San Diego projects

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)--Community leaders gathered in City Heights Wednesday to announce the recipients of the 2025 Community Clean Energy Grants.

This year, the Community Clean Energy Grant Program will invest nearly $1 million across 14 different community projects that focus on sustainable energy.

“We’re investing in efforts to make our communities cleaner and healthier,” Sean Elo-Rivera, a San Diego City Councilmember, said.

The announcement was made on behalf of San Diego Community Power, a non-profit public agency that provides cleaner energy to the county. It was held at the future site of the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans' (PANA) global village, a planned development featuring more than 150 affordable housing units and a global marketplace.

“We’ll have a cultural hub and commercial spaces, so a global village where refugee and immigrant businesses will be able to sell," Rachel Lozano-Castro, PANA Director of Strategic Partnerships & Development, said. "We’ll have gathering spaces, a wellness center, a daycare center, as well as a full nonprofit space.”

Officials with PANA hope to open the Global Village in 2030; however, additional fundraising is still needed. Today’s grant helps keep the project on track.

Another recipient of the grant is the Mid-City GO shuttle, a pilot program launched in February.

“This is a micro transit project, so it tries to fill in the gaps within our transit system,” Jesse Ramirez, the City Heights Community Development Director of Urban Planning, said.

The shuttle will provide free micro transit service to mid-city areas, including City Heights and North Park.

“It shows that clean transportation can serve a very practical purpose, helping people get to work, to school, the doctor, and to community events without adding to pollution,” Elo-Rivera said.

Ramirez says this grant will help support their outreach efforts and expand service hours.

“What we anticipate through these grants is that there will be a number of nonprofits who are able to fulfill visions that they’ve had for a long time but lacked the resources for,” Pamela Gray Payton, San Diego Foundation Vice President, Chief Impact Partnerships Officer, said.

Here is the Full list of the 2025 Community Clean Energy Grants recipients:
Circulate San Diego
City Heights Community Development Corporation
Grid Alternative San Diego
Hammond Climate Solutions
In Good Company
La Mesa Park and Recreation Foundation
Little Siagon of San Diego
Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee on Anti-Poverty
Partnership for the Advancement of New Americas
Profit World Beat Productions
Strategic Energy Innovations
South Sudanese Community Center
Tree San Diego
Uniting Natives Culturally and Intertribally