Earthrise Energy today awarded Vermilion Advantage $20,000 to expand a high school career development initiative in Vermilion County. The funds, awarded through Earthrise Energy’s RISE grant program, will support the expansion of Vermilion Advantage’s Skyepack initiative, a specialty curriculum designed to educate students about workforce skills and competencies to include renewable energy and healthcare sectors.

According to Vermilion Advantage, the economic development agency and chamber of commerce for Vermilion County, an increasing number of county senior high school students are now skipping college upon graduation and lack a career path. To help these students find local employment, Vermilion Advantage rolled out its Skyepack initiative last fall with an initial focus on the manufacturing sector.

“Earthrise Energy was founded to accelerate the clean energy transition, and we need a trained and educated workforce to make that happen. Our partnership with Vermilion Advantage will grow the local talent pool we need for the future,” said Earthrise Energy CEO Carla Tully. “We also believe it is critical to close the healthcare service gap that exists in Vermilion County and ensure that our employees, their families, and those throughout the county receive the health care they need.”

Earthrise Energy owns and operates five natural gas plants in Illinois, including the Tilton Energy power plant in Tilton as well as the Gibson City Energy Center and the Shelby County Energy Center in central Illinois. The company is also building more than 1.5 gigawatts of renewable energy projects in the state.

“We thank Earthrise Energy for supporting this educational initiative, working to keep local talent local and working for our wonderful employers in our county. Many students in the area are graduating high school without a plan and unaware of the job options available to them here at home,” said Tim Dudley, CEO of Vermilion Advantage. “There are many growth opportunities in the renewable energy sector right now as the country shifts to a clean energy economy. We also need to encourage more students to consider joining the local healthcare industry. This funding will help us do both.”

The Earthrise Energy RISE Grants were launched in 2022 and are awarded to nonprofit organizations directly providing programs or services that aspire to improve the environment, support excellence in education, and uplift the communities where Earthrise operates.

For more information about Vermilion Advantage, go to vermilionadvantage.com.

About Earthrise Energy

Earthrise Energy, PBC, is an independent power producer advancing the clean energy transition. As a public benefit corporation, Earthrise seeks to power our world more responsibly, sustainably, and equitably than ever before. The company acquires, develops, and operates power generation facilities to provide reliable electricity, support decarbonizing the grid, and meet the evolving needs of our customers and communities. The company is developing more than 1.5 gigawatts of renewable energy projects and has an operating portfolio of flexible natural gas peaking plants that provide nearly 1.7 gigawatts of capacity to support a future energy system that is reliable, resilient, and renewable. Learn about Earthrise Energy at earthriseenergy.com.