Wells Fargo 2015 Annual Report Download - page 25

2015 Annual Report| 
Teaming up to bring
affor d able solar power
Karen Spotted Tail
to the people
In a six-year period, members of the
Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota
saw their electricity costs increase
by 50 percent. As a result, Karen
Spotted Tail, a member of the tribe,
struggled to pay her bills.
In October 2015, GRID Alternatives —
a nonprofit that makes renewable
energy accessible to low-income
communities — donated and installed
solar panels on Karen’s roof. After two
months, the cost of her utilities had
dropped significantly.
Such success has helped create
awareness of solar energy across
the tribal community, according
to Ken Haukaas, a consultant for
the tribe’s utility commission.
GRID Alternatives also provides
job training and employment
opportunities in solar installation.
Since 2007, Wells Fargo has provided
the organization with $4 million
in grants, helping it expand services
from its home base in California
to locations across the U.S.
And Wells Fargo team members
have joined in as well. They have
helped install panels for 58 families
and volunteered more than 3,500 hours
in the past 10 years.
Erica Mackie, GRID Alternatives
CEO and co-founder, said, “Wells Fargo
is a long-term supporter and a trusted
advisor, helping us expand our reach
to make renewable energy accessible
to people who need it most.”
Karen said, “I just wish everybody
could receive this help.”
Learn more at wellsfargo.com/stories.