Earthrise Energy Surpasses $1 Million in Community Grants and Scholarships
Earthrise Energy Surpasses $1 Million in Community Grants and Scholarships
RISE Grant Program Advances Education, Environment, and Community Health Across Illinois
Launches New RISE Grant Program Website Page
May 16, 2025 — Earthrise Energy announced today that it has awarded more than $1 million in grants and scholarships to organizations across Illinois through its signature RISE Grant Program, which launched in 2022. With over 60 awards made to date, the program reflects Earthrise’s commitment to investing in the long-term vitality of the communities where it operates.
The RISE Grant Program focuses on three key areas of impact:
- Serving Local Communities
- Supporting Excellence in Education in the Arts and STEM
- Protecting the Environment
The RISE Grant Program has awarded $1,166,138 in grants and scholarships. In addition, Earthrise has provided $368,077 in Community Benefit Agreements and local sponsorships.
“Every RISE Grant award starts with listening—to educators, farmers, parents, conservationists, and local leaders who understand their community’s needs best,” said Talya Tavor, Director of Community Engagement at Earthrise Energy. “We’re proud to support their work and to stand alongside our neighbors who are building stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities.”
Recent grant recipients include:
- Neoga Community Unit School District 3, which received tornado recovery support following a devastating March 2025 storm;
- ShareFest Will County, a non-profit addressing food, health, job, and housing insecurity, which received funding to expand its storage and distribution capabilities; and
- Lake Land College in Mattoon, which received two awards: a RISE Grant to support the Student Emergency Fund, which students remain on track during unexpected hardships, and the creation of the Earthrise Energy Endowment, which will fund a permanent annual scholarship for one student each year;
- And so many more!
“Crossing the $1 million mark in grant awards is a powerful milestone—not only for our company, but more importantly, for the communities we serve,” said Steve Vavrik, CEO of Earthrise Energy. “The RISE Grant Program underscores Earthrise’s core values as a clean energy developer and power plant owner/operator committed to investing in local communities and long-term progress.”
In conjunction with this milestone, Earthrise Energy is unveiling a major update to its website, which makes the RISE Grant Program more accessible to community stakeholders. With these new website features, community members can recommend scholarship programs, nominate non-profits and directly apply their organizations for RISE funding. The rollout of these new features demonstrates Earthrise’s ongoing commitment to transparency, accessibility, and partnership.
Earthrise Energy owns and operates 1.7 gigawatts of natural gas generation capacity and is actively developing 1.5 gigawatts of solar energy across the Midwest, including the Gibson City Solar 1 & 2 projects, now in active construction.
For more information about the RISE Grant Program, visit: www.earthriseenergy.com/community
For more information about Earthrise Energy, visit: www.earthriseenergy.com