CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apex Clean Energy (Apex) today announced the recipients of $960,000 contributed in 2024 through its Conservation Grant Program, an industry-first environmental initiative that allocates funds to conservation efforts near the company’s commercialized renewable energy projects. Since its founding in 2021, the program has dispersed nearly $3.2 million, generated over $18 million in matching donations, and supported approximately 4,420 acres of preserved and restored lands, as well as other unique conservation projects.
“As the impact of this employee-initiated program continues to grow, Apex is demonstrating how renewable energy can drive local and regional conservation and environmental stewardship,” said Ken Young, CEO of Apex. “Each of these efforts addresses the unique needs of local ecosystems, fostering the well-being of the people and wildlife near where we work.”
The Apex Conservation Grant Program builds on the environmental benefits of Apex’s work by contributing a sum of money proportional to the size of each commercialized project (up to $1,000/MW) to preserve and restore natural resources in the surrounding area.
On behalf of six projects—Bowman Wind, Great Kiskadee Storage, Wheatsborough Solar, Swiftwater Solar, Prosperity Wind, and Lotus Wind—Apex awarded grants for the following initiatives:
- In North Dakota, Ducks Unlimited ($200,000) and partners will conserve 547 acres of wetlands and grasslands in the Prairie Pothole Region through its Preserve Our Prairies initiative. The effort supports preserving imperiled native grasslands that support vital nesting waterfowl habitat and species of conservation priority, such as the lark bunting, chestnut-collared longspur, and Baird’s sparrow.
- Near Los Fresnos, Texas, Ducks Unlimited ($100,000) and partners will restore 200 acres of wetlands within the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, converting the agricultural landscape back into its historical coastal wetland system.
- In the Shenandoah River watershed, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation ($40,000) will foster regenerative agriculture by converting 400 acres to improved pasture management and planting 15 acres of riparian forested buffers (trees planted along streams and waterways), aiming to reduce pollution by working with farmers to maximize the economic benefits and sustainability of their land.
- In Portage County, Ohio, the Western Reserve Land Conservancy ($125,000), in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and the Portage Park District, will restore 180 acres of former agricultural fields and mined lands to prairie pollinator habitat for pollinators such as the rusty patched bumblebee and monarch butterfly; this will also serve as a public recreation area.
- In Rockford, Illinois, Severson Dells Nature Center ($204,000) will rewild a decommissioned 168-acre golf course into a biodiverse natural habitat while enhancing public access and environmental education opportunities.
- In Brown County, Illinois, the Nature Conservancy (TNC) ($250,000) will support the long-term recovery of Spunky Bottoms, a 1,157-acre historic floodplain of the Illinois River. TNC will establish a managed connection to the river through modifications to the existing levee and installation of a water control structure, which will sustain the site’s ecological benefits for people and wildlife.
- In Philadelphia and Delaware Counties, Pennsylvania, Ducks Unlimited ($40,000) and partners will increase tidal restoration and coastal resiliency to the 150-acre Henderson Marsh within the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. DU will also restore 16 acres of scrub/shrub habitat to provide stopover habitat for migratory birds and improve water quality. VC Renewables, a Vitol company and the current owner of Swiftwater Solar, will match the grant amount.
About Apex Clean Energy
Apex Clean Energy was founded with a singular focus: to accelerate the shift to clean energy. Through origination, development, construction, and operation of utility-scale wind, solar, and storage facilities, distributed energy resources, and green fuel technologies, Apex is expanding the renewable frontier across the United States. Our mission-driven team uses a data-focused approach and an unrivaled portfolio of projects to create solutions for the world’s most innovative and forward-thinking customers. For more information about how Apex is building the energy company of the future, visit apexcleanenergy.com or follow us on Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
