Elk Garden, WV \u2013 Clearway Energy Group (\u201cClearway\u201d) today announced that the Black Rock Community Benefit Fund is now accepting applications from qualified nonprofits for grant funding. Black Rock, a 115-megawatt wind farm in Grant and Mineral counties, is indirectly owned and operated by Clearway.<\/p>\n
The Black Rock Community Benefit Fund was established to provide financial support for charitable projects and programs in the communities surrounding the 23-turbine wind farm on the Allegheny Front near Elk Garden, West Virginia.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re proud to serve and support the communities where we work and live,\u201d said Doug Vance, plant manager at Black Rock and Pinnacle Wind. \u201cThe community benefit funds sponsored by Clearway\u2019s West Virginia wind farms are our way of ensuring we support the organizations that provide vital services and enrichment to citizens of the region.\u201d<\/p>\n
Black Rock Wind voluntarily committed to donate $133,000 to the Community Benefit Fund at the start of commercial operations in 2022, and $50,000 per year for the life of the project. The program models the successful Pinnacle Wind Community Benefit fund, which has already awarded more than $270,000 in grants to community organizations since 2012.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are honored to be of service to Grant County and Mineral County and their residents,\u201d said Jim Cookman, President of the US Wind Force Foundation. \u201cWe appreciate the community\u2019s broad support for the Black Rock wind farm, and Clearway\u2019s continued commitment to the Potomac Highlands.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grant applications will be subject to a rigorous review process by an Allocation Committee of Grant County and Mineral County residents. Applications must be delivered electronically or postmarked no later than Thursday, March 31, 2022, to be considered. The benefit fund is managed by the US Wind Force Foundation.<\/p>\n