Black Owners of Solar Services Awarded $6.3M DOE Cooperative Agreement

Washington, D.C. – Black Owners of Solar Services (B.O.S.S.) was awarded a cooperative agreement totaling approximately $6.3 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Economic Impact and Diversity (ED) on February 23, 2023, to implement the Equitable Clean Energy Advancement Initiative and Pilot Triad. The announcement came during the first ever DOE Minority Business Enterprise summit - to the applause of all in the room. The cooperative agreement establishes a regional effort to coordinate and train minority-owned businesses on how to apply for DOE funding and access DOE programs, benefits, services, and opportunities.  

The partnership will make a monumental contribution to the public, and more specifically, minority-owned businesses in the energy sector by reducing barriers to access all areas of the federal government. It will also help foster a collaborative environment to connect entrepreneurs, students, and workers in the clean energy space. 

“Black Owners of Solar Services is honored and excited to receive this award from the Department of Energy.” said B.O.S.S. President, Ajulo Othow. “This long-awaited work will support minority businesses alongside expanded access for all Americans and in particular communities of color to meaningfully benefit from our transition to renewable energy.”

The cooperative agreement funds will enable Black and minority-owned businesses to increase their awareness of and access to technical assistance, capacity building, and business development programs provided by the Department of Energy (DOE).  The program will be piloted first in North Carolina, then duplicated in two other states. B.O.S.S. will assess barriers for minority and women-owned small businesses in the energy sector with a focus on government grants and contracts. Workshops, a cleantech DBE certification, mentorship programs and more will be developed and leveraged as the program expands. 

In support of DOE’s Justice40 Initiative efforts, the agreement helps advance the DOE’s goals by increasing parity in clean energy technology (e.g., solar and storage), stimulating clean energy enterprise creation, along with creating clean energy jobs and training for disadvantaged and underserved communities. 

“This collaboration will have a critical role in helping to advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s equity and climate goals,” said DOE’s Director Shalanda Baker. “We have partnered with an organization that is positioned to help us reach critical players in the industry as we strive to increase the participation of minority business owners as we move toward a clean energy future.” 

Black Owners of Solar Services is the largest community of experienced African American energy professionals working in the solar photovoltaic space. B.O.S.S. is committed to combining and leveraging collective power to lead the clean energy sector on our terms for all communities.

Learn more about B.O.S.S. by visiting www.blacksolar.org. Learn more about the DOE’s Justice40 Initiative by visiting www.energy.gov/diversity/office-economic-impact-and-diversity. See the Department of Energy Press Release at https://www.energy.gov/diversity/articles/doe-awards-63-million-black-owners-solar-services-boss-advance-equity-clean.

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