Calpine Community Benefits Grants Awarded to Three Local Nonprofits

Over $56,000 in grants awarded to expand access to renewable energy education, career exploration and clean energy advancement in Orange County Power Authority’s member cities

IRVINE, Calif. (February 5, 2026) – Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) – a local community clean energy provider – announced three recipients of its annual Community Benefits Grant program, in partnership with Calpine Community Energy, now part of Constellation. More than $56,000 in funding is assisting local nonprofit organizations in providing programs for renewable energy education, green energy career exploration, and electric energy adoption in OCPA’s member cities of Buena Park, Fullerton, Fountain Valley, and Irvine. 

“Orange County Power Authority is thrilled to partner with Calpine Community Energy to provide grants to local organizations for the second year in row,” said Susan Sonne, OCPA Board Chair. “As a not-for-profit, OCPA is proud to reinvest in our member communities and uplift organizations and projects that are championing a clean energy future.”

The Calpine Community Benefits Grants will support:

• Inside the Outdoors, part of the Orange County Department of Education, to deliver a Renewable Energy Traveling Scientist program to fourth-grade classrooms and after-school programs in OCPA member cities, prioritizing Title 1 schools. Through interactive sessions reaching over 1,000 students at no cost to schools, the program will provide hands-on, standards-aligned lessons where students act as energy engineers by experimenting with solar panels, wind turbines, and generators to explore renewable energy solutions.
• Vital Link to expand the Green Energy Career Exploration program for over 8,000 middle school students across OCPA member cities. The initiative will enhance hands-on activities that introduce students to renewable energy technologies like hydrogen-powered cars and solar panels, helping them connect classroom science to real-world applications and future careers. The program will provide career-linked learning for clean energy careers such as technicians, installers, and engineers.
• OC Goes Solar to scale its Electrify Everything Accelerator Campaign, which educates and assists residents in Fullerton, Buena Park, Irvine, and Fountain Valley on the benefits of clean energy adoption and home electrification. The 2026 program will focus on low-income renters in disadvantaged communities, providing culturally relevant outreach and hands-on guidance to make electrification affordable and attainable. Workshops and demonstrations will help hundreds of residents access rebates, incentives, and low-income programs for clean energy technologies.

“We are honored to award these three incredible organizations with grants to support their dedication to renewable energy education,” said Vice President of CCA Commercial Operations for Calpine Community Energy Josh Brock. “These funds support our Community Choice Aggregation partner and the communities it serves throughout Orange County to catalyze a cleaner future.”

Calpine Community Benefits Grant recipients were selected based on an in-depth analysis of their organization and the proposed project. The assessment framework concentrated on four key pathways used to drive progress in bettering clean energy: 1) Research, 2) Education, 3) Environmental and Social Justice Communities, and 4) Workforce Development/Growth.

OCPA also invests in the communities it serves through numerous programs that provide customers with access to energy and cost saving opportunities that create healthier communities by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating green jobs. Learn more at ocpower.org/energy-programs.

About Calpine Community Energy

Calpine Community Energy, part of Constellation, is the leading provider of data management and customer contact center services for Community Choice Aggregation agencies. Calpine continues to be a trusted and worthy business and thought partner that serves 21 operating and working CCA’s and coordinates customer data and billing operations for more than 5.5 million meters across the state of California.

About Orange County Power Authority

The Orange County Power Authority is a not-for-profit public agency that offers clean power at stable rates, significantly reducing energy-related greenhouse emissions and enabling reinvestment in local energy programs. To learn more, visit www.ocpower.org.