Announcing $4.5 Million in Community Benefit Grants for West Virginia’s Potomac Highlands
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Please reach out to media@sustainourfuture.org for any media inquiries.
September 3, 2026
Washington, DC - Sustain Our Future Foundation (SOFF) is proud to introduce the community partners selected for our $4.5 million community benefit grants serving West Virginia’s Potomac Highlands region. Developed in collaboration with local community advisors, Clearway Energy, and Microsoft, this grant strategy reflects our shared commitment to ensuring the repowering of the Mount Storm Energy Center delivers meaningful, tangible, and lasting benefits for communities in and around Grant County, where the wind facility has been operating since 2008.
The $4.5 million initial investment is a part of the full community benefits fund that will provide grants annually over the next 20 years to create an ongoing source of community investment for organizations serving the region. The fund is expected to deliver more than $13 million in direct grants to the community over the 20-year agreement period, as a feature of a long-term power purchase agreement between Clearway and Microsoft.
SOFF is serving as the fund administrator, working alongside local community advisors to help ensure these investments reflect the priorities, opportunities, and needs identified by people who know the region best.
For this first round, a local community advisory board helped identify priority areas for investment, resulting in grants that support:
Strengthening local economies and small businesses
Expanding workforce development and career pathways
Improving energy efficiency, reducing household energy burdens, and promoting whole home health
Supporting emergency preparedness and community resilience
Expanding educational opportunities and access to scholarships
Investing in sustainable tourism and regional economic development
Below are the organizations receiving funding in this first round and how their work is contributing to the long-term strength and resilience of communities across West Virginia.
Building Local Economies and Community Prosperity
West Virginia Community Development Hub — Funding will support a new Grant County Community mini-grant program, providing resources to small businesses and community-based organizations while supporting technical assistance, community convening, and locally driven economic development.
Grant County Convention & Visitors Bureau — Funding will support sustainable tourism infrastructure, community-driven economic development, and marketing and visitor engagement efforts designed to increase opportunities for local businesses, artisans, and community organizations to benefit from regional tourism.
Grant County Chamber of Commerce — Funding will support small business development, entrepreneurship and workforce initiatives, local business engagement, and collaborative economic development efforts that strengthen the region's long-term economic resilience.
Building Workforce and Educational Pathways, and Reducing Energy Burdens and Strengthening Home Health
Eastern West Virginia Community Action Agency — Funding will expand home weatherization and electrification efforts for low- and moderate-income homeowners across the region, helping households improve energy efficiency, reduce utility costs, and create healthier and safer homes.
Coalfield Development — Funding will expand workforce training in renewable energy, construction, and environmental remediation while supporting the development of ecotourism-based social enterprises that create local jobs and strengthen regional economic resilience.
South Branch Career and Technical Center — Funding will strengthen career and technical education through updated equipment, expanded course offerings, and industry-aligned certifications that prepare high school and adult learners for high-demand careers.
Grant County Schools — Funding will support workforce readiness initiatives, including career exploration, technical education pathways, and partnerships with local employers that help students prepare for post-secondary education and employment.
Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College Wind Energy Technology Program — Four students will receive scholarships to support their participation in the college's Wind Energy Technology Program, helping reduce financial barriers to training and strengthen the region's clean energy workforce.
Mountwest Community & Technical College Solar Installer Training Program — Five students will receive scholarships to complete solar installer training, supporting pathways into the growing clean energy workforce.
West Virginia State University — Scholarship funding will support a student pursuing studies aligned with workforce and sustainability pathways, helping expand access to higher education and economic opportunity.
Bluefield State University — Scholarship funding will support students pursuing high-demand fields, reducing financial barriers to higher education and strengthening regional workforce pipelines.
Strengthening Emergency Preparedness and Community Resilience
Grant County Volunteer Fire Association — Funding will be distributed among member fire companies in Bayard, Maysville, Mount Storm, and Petersburg to strengthen equipment, training, and operational capacity and improve emergency response and disaster preparedness across the county.
Pendleton County General Services Center — Funding will support facility renovations and resilience upgrades that will enable the center to serve as a critical emergency preparedness hub, safeguard essential services, and strengthen continuity of operations during disasters.
Together, these investments represent an investment in the people, institutions, businesses, and community infrastructure that help West Virginia communities thrive. Sustain Our Future Foundation will continue working with community members and local advisors to identify priorities and help direct future investments toward the needs and opportunities that matter most to communities across the region.
We congratulate the 13 organizations selected for this first round and look forward to seeing how their work strengthens economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, community resilience, and quality of life throughout Grant County and the Potomac Highlands.
About Sustain Our Future Foundation
Sustain Our Future Foundation (SOFF) is a national not-for-profit organization that collaborates with corporate sustainability teams to de-risk and deepen the impact of sustainable infrastructure projects by ensuring that local communities' priorities are part of the planning, siting, and development phases of the projects. Our goal is to raise the standard of sustainable development to promote economic development, community partnership, local self-determination, and environmental health for all communities.