Biden-Harris Administration Highlights Community Offshore Wind as Corporate Leader on Childcare
- The White House and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo showcase Community Offshore Wind as one of the country’s corporate leaders on childcare
- Community Offshore Wind’s proposal in New York includes a $10 million childcare financial assistance program to support parents who are working in and training for offshore wind careers, in partnership with the United Way of New York State
Washington, DC – July 20, 2023
WASHINGTON, DC – The Biden-Harris Administration yesterday highlighted Community Offshore Wind as a national corporate leader in childcare at two separate events with the company’s innovative $10 million investment in reduced-cost childcare services for New York’s offshore wind trainees and workers.
At a special luncheon organized by Moms First and the National Business Coalition for Child Care, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo highlighted groundbreaking investments made by Community Offshore Wind and other corporate leaders to implement equitable childcare policies that will stimulate economic development and new industries.
Following the luncheon, Community Offshore Wind participated in a roundtable discussion with Jennifer Klein, Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Gender Policy Council and Carmel Martin, Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President. Joined by other corporate leaders, the conversation focused on how business leaders, especially those in next-generation industries like clean energy, can drive economic prosperity and foundational change with their family-friendly policies.
In partnership with United Way of New York, Community Offshore Wind‘s program, C.A.R.E. (Childcare Affordability and Resource Equity), will provide a stipend for workers and trainees who can then select a childcare facility near their home or workplace. This people-first initiative will help remove the financial obstacles for workers who want to pursue jobs in the renewables industry. The joint venture will prioritize families who are from disadvantaged communities or identified ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed).
“Community Offshore Wind is proud to be recognized alongside other corporate leaders who are seeking to change the way we prioritize childcare in this country,” said Doug Perkins, President and Project Director of Community Offshore Wind. “Too often, a lack of access to safe, affordable, and reliable childcare restricts parents – particularly those from disadvantaged communities – from pursuing a new professional career. Our partnership with the United Way will ensure our transition to clean energy leaves no worker or family behind, and level the playing field for all workers who want to pursue offshore wind jobs.”
“Families across the country are struggling to find quality, affordable childcare, so it is encouraging to see the private sector emerging with innovative solutions to support their employees’ childcare needs, and in doing so demonstrating the business case for broader investments in childcare,” said Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Moms First. “The organizations here today, like Community Offshore Wind, are at the vanguard of that effort, and we are honored to recognize and uplift their contributions to addressing our country’s childcare crisis.”¬
Earlier this year, Community Offshore Wind submitted a proposal to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) with supplemental investments to support economic and workforce development across New York, including its childcare program. The Washington, D.C. luncheon for corporate leaders showcased best practices for implementing equitable childcare policies and explored opportunities for further collaboration between the public and private sectors.
The C.A.R.E. program builds on Governor Kathy Hochul’s ongoing efforts to improve access to childcare for New York’s workforce, including a $500 million investment in this year’s state budget to increase childcare staff retention. The budget also included $4.8 million for a pilot program to allow employers, employees and the state to share the costs of childcare services.
The funding for the C.A.R.E. program is contingent on NYSERDA selecting Community Offshore Wind’s proposal in the state’s third offshore wind solicitation. Childcare will be a part of all the joint venture’s future offshore wind proposals.
To learn more about Community Offshore Wind’s C.A.R.E. program, click here.
For further inquiries:
Community Offshore Wind
Molly Gilson
Communications Lead
M. +1 781-249-77006
E. MollyG@communityoffshorewind.com
About Community Offshore Wind
RWE and National Grid Ventures, will bring clean energy to the Northeastern US in a joint venture called Community Offshore Wind. They will develop offshore wind on the largest parcel in the New York Bight with the potential to host 3 gigawatts (GW) of capacity, which is enough to power more than one million US homes and businesses. The project is expected to be in operation by the end of 2030. Community Offshore Wind is dedicated to investing in communities by bringing clean energy jobs to the region and growing the local economy. They will deliver sustainable energy safely, reliably, and efficiently to the communities they serve.
RWE
RWE is leading the way to a green energy world. With an extensive investment and growth strategy, the company will expand its powerful, green generation capacity to more than 50 gigawatts internationally by 2030. RWE is investing more than€50 billion gross for this purpose in this decade. The portfolio is based on offshore and onshore wind, solar, hydrogen, batteries, biomass and gas. RWE Supply & Trading provides tailored energy solutions for large customers. RWE has locations in the attractive markets of Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region. The company is responsibly phasing out nuclear energy and coal. Government-mandated phaseout roadmaps have been defined for both of these energy sources. RWE employs around 19,000 people worldwide and has a clear target: to get to net zero by 2040. On its way there, the company has set itself ambitious targets for all activities that cause greenhouse gas emissions. The Science Based Targets initiative has confirmed that these emission reduction targets are in line with the Paris Agreement. Very much in the spirit of the company’s purpose: Our energy for a sustainable life.
About National Grid Ventures
National Grid is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people throughout our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a path to a more affordable, reliable clean energy future through our fossil-free vision.
National Grid Ventures (NGV) is the non-regulated division of National Grid plc, one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world. NGV operates outside of National Grid’s core regulated businesses in the US and UK where it develops, operates and invests in energy projects, technologies and partnerships to accelerate the development of a clean energy future. NGV’s diverse portfolio of low carbon and renewable energy businesses across the UK, Europe and US includes subsea electricity interconnectors, wind and solar power, and battery storage. For more information, visit https://www.nationalgrid.com/national-grid-ventures.
