In a season marked by the expectation of family togetherness and joy, the stark reality is that many families face looming financial pressures and even the threat of losing their homes. To ease these pressures, Earthrise Energy recently awarded Embarras River Basin Agency, Inc. (ERBA) a $13,000 RISE Grant to help those in need in Cole and Cumberland counties access grants to avoid foreclosure and make needed home repairs.

“We are proud to work with Earthrise Energy to help homeowners celebrate this holiday season at home. Using these funds, we’ve already reached out to more than 100 families in need of help,” said Sandy Deters, ERBA Housing Counseling Coordinator. “We’ve prevented nine families from facing foreclosure, secured essential home repairs for two families, and facilitated the successful purchase of a home for another family. Though these figures may appear modest, the ripple effect of these efforts throughout the community is profound and far-reaching.”

Earthrise Energy is an independent power producer that operates the Shelby County Energy Center, a natural gas peaker plant located on the border between Neoga and Sigel. The company is also developing renewable energy projects in Central Illinois.

“At some point in life, every person in life will need a helping hand. Earthrise is proud to join ERBA in reaching out to those most in need in Central Illinois to offer assistance,” said Jonathan Pike, Senior Director of Development at Earthrise Energy. “We applaud the work that ERBA does day in and day out to help those in Central Illinois and improve their lives. For us at Earthrise supporting organizations like ERBA isn’t just good business— we consider it our duty as a public benefit corporation to nurture the communities that support us.”

Earthrise Energy founded its RISE Grant program to invest in and partner with local nonprofit organizations like ERBA that provide critical services to local residents where the company has operations. Since 2022, the company has awarded nearly $150,000 to organizations in Illinois that enable excellence in education, help protect and preserve the environment, and support community members.

“At the heart of our company’s mission lies a deep commitment to the well-being of the communities where we operate. Working with ERBA is just one way we are working to foster stable communities, growth, and prosperity,” added Pike.

For more information on how you can support ERBA, go to erbainc.org.

Earthrise Energy
Earthrise Energy, PBC, is an independent power producer with a mission to reduce power sector greenhouse gas emissions faster than ever before. The company acquires, owns, and operates legacy fossil fuel assets and repurposes the transmission infrastructure for renewable energy development projects, bringing them online faster than typical greenfield renewable energy projects. Earthrise has 1.7 GW of gas-fired generation capacity and has a solar development pipeline of more than 2 GW. For more information about Earthrise Energy, go to earthriseenergy.com.

Embarras River Basin Agency, Inc.
The Embarras River Basin Agency, Inc (ERBA), is a Community Action Agency dedicated to serving the needs of at-risk, low-income individuals and families. The common goal of all programs within the agency is to foster community involvement, professional partnerships, and trust between all entities. The agency and staff members are committed to providing life skills that will assist individuals and families to attain a higher level of stability, self-sufficiency and a better quality of life. For more information about ERBA go to erbainc.org.