Earthrise Energy today awarded a $20,000 RISE Grant to The Conservation Foundation, an Illinois environmental nonprofit organization, to help lay the groundwork to activate and restore 40 acres of protected land in Manhattan, Illinois. The property, located along the Manhattan Creek, is owned by the Village of Manhattan and is adjacent to land owned by the Manhattan Park District. It is preserved as open space under a conservation easement overseen by the Foundation.

The funds will be used to conduct a site assessment, develop designs for the property, and create a restoration plan, which will include removing invasive species and replanting of native plants in subsequent years.

“We appreciate Earthrise’s support to help this open area become a real community asset. Like anything with land, it takes time, and in the coming years we’re excited to help this seemingly vacant area come to life in a way that’s good for residents and local plants and animals through Earthrise’s  commitment to environmental conservation and a partnership with the Village,” said Alison Paul of The Conservation Foundation.

“The Village of Manhattan is pleased to partner with both Earthrise and the Conservation Foundation to improve our community by maintaining the land along the Manhattan Creek,” said Manhattan Mayor Mike Adrieansen.  “As a growing community we are constantly working to balance future growth while protecting our existing community and this is a great opportunity to work together with our partner agencies.”

Founded to accelerate the clean energy transition, Earthrise Energy owns and operates five natural gas peaker plants in Illinois, including the Lincoln Generating Facility in Manhattan and Crete Energy Venture in Crete. The company established its RISE Grant program to bolster nonprofit and local government organizations in supporting excellence in education, protecting the environment, and supporting the communities where Earthrise has operations and developing renewable energy projects.

“We are happy to support The Conservation Foundation and the great work they are doing to strengthen and improve the environment in Manhattan and Will County,” said Leanna Rybacki, Earthrise Energy’s Project Developer in Will County. “We look forward to working with the Conservation Foundation on other opportunities to support local conservation efforts in the region in years to come.”

Earthrise Energy Vice President of Development Jonathan Pike added, “At Earthrise, we are committed to playing an active role in our communities where we have operations, and to improving the quality of life for our colleagues and our neighbors.”

Learn more about the Conservation Foundation at theconservationfoundation.org.

The Conservation Foundation

The Conservation Foundation improves the health of our communities by preserving and restoring open space and natural lands, protecting rivers and watersheds, and promoting stewardship of our environment in northeastern Illinois. The support of more than 6,000 members and 500 volunteers helps TCF carry out its mission in DuPage, Kane, Kendall, and Will Counties where it has helped preserve more than 36,000 acres of open space, as well as projects in LaSalle, DeKalb, and Grundy Counties.

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 gigawatts of gas-fired generation capacity and has a solar development pipeline of more than 2 gigawatts. For more information about Earthrise Energy, go to earthriseenergy.com.