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We publicly changed our operations from a social enterprise to Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3), which is allowing us to broaden our impact!
Our climate policy efforts helped:
Push for a solar-friendly net metering agreement
Provide feedback for the City of San Diego’s Climate Action Plan update and the County of San Diego’s Regional Decarbonization Framework
Launch the Fossil Fuel Free Pledge!
Provide input for San Diego County’s District 3 Environmental Roundtable
The programs and projects we manage continued to make a positive impact in communities across the country:
We helped over 20 nonprofit organizations go solar this year through our Solar Moonshot Program and passed the $1,000,000 per year fundraising goal
We managed $8,387,418.01 in recoverable grants, which helped nonprofits nationwide afford the switch to clean energy and energy storage
We continued managing two e-bike pilot programs and assisted our client BQuest Foundation in supporting an e-bike program for De Anza College in Cupertino, California
We oversaw the installations of an EV charging station at a San Diego-based nonprofits serving communities of concern with two more underway
Four more California Electric Vehicle Incentive Project (CALeVIP) rebates that we had applied for were given the green light to proceed, totalling $52,000
In Q1, we accepted two awards - the first was the San Diego Green Building Council’s Sustainable Organization award, and the second was for our founder and executive director, Tara Hammond, who was one of the San Diego State University Alumni’s Rising Aztec winners
Our team proudly served in leadership roles on a number of boards and committees including:
California Alliance for Community Energy (Steering Committee)
GRID Alternatives (San Diego Board of Directors)
SanDiego350 (SouthBay Eco Justice team)
San Diego Green New Deal Alliance (Steering Committee)
San Diego Community Power (Community Advisory Committee and Executive Ad Hoc Committee)
Climate Defenders Action Fund (Board of Directors)
San Diego Climate Hub (Hub Manager)
As 2022 comes to a close, we wanted to reflect on all we have accomplished this year as well as share what we have in store for 2023. From fighting for the equitable and sustainable expansion of the rooftop solar industry to successfully advocating for comprehensive and legally-binding climate action plans to managing clean energy initiatives, this year has been packed with local, statewide and national climate action alongside many amazing partners. Thank you for supporting our work!
Net Energy Metering
After a two and a half year battle, the California Public Utilities Commission made a final decision on the future of rooftop solar and approved a new net energy metering tariff. Unfortunately, the decision benefits the investor-owned utilities and will slow California’s advancement towards 100 percent clean energy, using fossil fuels for a longer duration, which accelerates the climate crisis and worsens climate injustices. The tariff makes drastic cuts to the credits customers receive for sharing excess energy with neighbors and makes solar more expensive for everyone, including low-income Californians who are currently paying a disproportionate amount of income towards skyrocketing energy costs.
Although we are outraged that the commission has sided with the investor-owned utilities and has disregarded the thousands of letters and public comments from climate organizations, nonprofits, schools, cities, elected officials and climate justice organizations urging them to keep rooftop solar growing, we want to take a step back celebrate what our coalition was able to accomplish throughout the course of the proceeding.
In mid-2020 we were asked by the Solar Rights Alliance to gather San Diego climate leaders to help build a statewide coalition, which became the Save CA Solar coalition, and we are so proud of the coalition’s work. San Diego was a leader in addressing this issue with the most public comments in opposition coming directly from San Diegans. This is undoubtedly due to the amount of work local organizations poured into organizing public comments, giving presentations, meetings with elected officials, organizing rallies and speaking with the media (read more about one of our successful solar rallies here). Although this decision is far from a win, we were able to:
Stop the solar tax
Prevent changes to existing customers
Defeat Assembly Bill 1139, the “anti-solar bill”
Build a diverse statewide coalition of over 600
For now, we will celebrate what we were able to change but this decision serves as a reminder that there is still a lot of work to do to dismantle the fossil fuel industry's influence on politics and to achieve true energy and climate justice. For more background on this topic, check out www.HelpCleanEnergy.org.
Local Policy Highlights
While our team fought endlessly for good policy change at the statewide level, we also helped effectively bring some big changes at our local level in 2022. The City of San Diego passed a comprehensive Climate Action Plan update, which included bold targets for the region to meet in the coming years. More importantly, it came with a promise of an implementation plan and funding plan to be released in early 2023, something the last Climate Action Plan was lacking and resulted in little to no progress on the plan.
At the San Diego County level we helped provide important feedback for the Regional Decarbonization Framework. While the final plan has not been approved, local climate organizations are committed to ensuring this framework is not only comprehensive but provides a path for implementation and includes how we will transition workers from our current gas infrastructure as we decarbonize. We were also invited and participated in the San Diego County District 3 Environmental Roundtable strategy meetings.
Finally, our team was proud to serve as technical stakeholders to help with the development of a number of local programs and climate boards, most notably, the development of the City of San Diego’s new Climate Advisory Boards, which will advise the city on numerous issues ranging from energy and land conservation to building electrification and stormwater issues.
Fossil Fuel Free Pledge
The Fossil Fuel Free Pledge, which was launched by SanDiego350, Surfrider San Diego, BikeSD, San Diego Coastkeeper and Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation, disrupts the fossil fuel industry’s anti-climate agenda by celebrating and providing transparency regarding where nonprofit organizations, elected officials and candidates receive funding. Those who take the pledge commit to not accepting money from fossil fuel companies, demonstrating dedication and seriousness to combatting the climate crisis, dismantling the local fossil fuel industry’s influence and prioritizing a healthy, equitable, ethical, just transition and sustainable world.
Since the pledge’s soft launch during Earth month, there have been nearly 35 pledgees and we plan to expand the pledge categories in the coming months! To read more about the August launch event, click here, and to take the pledge, please fill out an application on the campaign website: www.fossilfuelfreepledge.org.
Solar Moonshot Program
Our Solar Moonshot Program continues to effectively make positive change by assisting nonprofit organizations across the country in adopting clean energy. To date, the Solar Moonshot Program has secured $3,150,000, which so far has assisted over 100 nonprofits, deploying 5,458kW of solar and offsetting 136,049 metric tons of carbon dioxide. These projects are reducing emissions, offering solar and energy storage education to the community, supporting green jobs and allowing nonprofits to save money on utility bills that are reinvested into their missions.
In recent months we have supported over 20 projects across nine states. The projects range from educational facilities to food pantries, affordable housing and more. Collectively, these projects equate to 853.25kW of solar power, have supported countless green jobs and will reduce the use of dirty energy contributing to climate racism and the climate crisis for decades to come.
There are always more solar projects to fund. If you know of a foundation, philanthropist or company interested in supporting the Solar Moonshot Program, further expanding our impact, please reach out to maya@hammondclimatesolutions.com.
New Electric Bike Program
We are excited to be taking part in our fourth electric bike (e-bike) program. This program, in partnership with De Anza College, Cupertino Rotary and BQuest Foundation, will benefit low-income students at De Anza College. The e-bike loaner program will allow students to get to and from the college more easily and provide them with a reliable form of transportation while simultaneously reducing their carbon footprint. The college will be launching this loaner program with 23 e-bikes and we look forward to seeing how the student body benefits as well as how many vehicle miles are offset by the e-bikes!
Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
While there are many public funds available for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the process of applying for them and ultimately securing them can be daunting and burdensome for nonprofit organizations with little resources.
We have helped the BQuest Foundation secure rebates from the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (CALeVIP), which when paired with the foundation's grants, brings EV charging stations to nonprofit organizations serving communities at zero cost to the nonprofit.
Our efforts this year have helped secure $42,000 in rebates for nonprofits serving communities of concern across the region and EV charging installations for three nonprofits have been installed or are close to being installed.
Looking Forward
In addition to continuing our climate advocacy and policy efforts, climate advising and existing climate programs like the Solar Moonshot Program and our e-bike programs, we plan to expand the Fossil Fuel Free Pledge to other focus areas as well. We’ll be sharing details on other programs for 2023 in the coming weeks, some of which will serve as pilot programs and proof of concept to lay the foundation for bigger programs for cities, community choice programs and legislation.
Reflecting on Juneteenth, environmental justice and our shared responsibility to cultivate the conditions for life to thrive
Pictured Above: A photo Dan took of Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s presidential portrait by Amy Sherald at the Smithsonian Institution
“Even though the story has never been tidy, and Black folks have had to march and fight for every inch of our freedom, our story is nonetheless one of progress,” said Michelle Obama.
Today, we celebrate Juneteenth—the day in 1865 when the last enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas learned they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed. It is a day of remembrance, resilience, and unfinished work. A reminder that freedom delayed is freedom denied—and that liberation is something each generation is called to carry forward.
As we reflect today, we're invited to ask a deeper question:
What does it truly mean to be free?
Perhaps freedom isn't only what we're liberated from.
Perhaps it's also what we're free to become.
To breathe deeply.
To drink clean water.
To take root.
To belong unapologetically.
To know that the place we call home has everything needed to sustain life—not only for ourselves, but for the countless beings with whom we share it.
Our lives are shaped by what's in the air.
By the water flowing through, around and beneath.
By the health of our soil and its smallest helpers.
By the canopies of our trees and all they shelter.
By the pollinators, fungi, oceans, rivers, and relationships—both human and more-than-human—that quietly make life possible every single day.
Liberation lives not only in our laws, but in our landscapes.
It lives in neighborhoods where children can safely play outside.
In rivers that run clean.
In forests of emerald green.
In communities resilient enough to weather storms together.
In the places we call home.
Because we have never existed apart from the living world.
When communities are burdened by pollution, chronic disinvestment or climate disasters, ecosystems suffer alongside them.
When forests disappear, waters are contaminated, species vanish, or soils are exhausted, people suffer too.
Our futures have always been intertwined.
Environmental justice reminds us that caring for people and caring for the Earth are not separate acts.
They are one and the same.
At Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation, we believe thriving is never the result of just one thing.
Healthy communities are built when clean energy, healthy ecosystems, affordable homes, public health, youth leadership, reliable transportation and strong relationships are woven together.
Because liberation is not simply the absence of injustice.
It is the presence of the conditions that allow life—in all its forms—to flourish.
This Juneteenth, may we honor those who fought for freedom by continuing to build a future where every person, every community, and every living being has the opportunity not only to survive, but to flourish and thrive.
The new clean energy system will generate nearly half a million dollars in savings, strengthen emergency preparedness and support healthier futures for local youth and families.
Community leaders, elected officials, youth, labor partners, funders and local residents gathered Wednesday at the Boys & Girls Clubs of South County's Imperial Beach Club to celebrate the completion of a clean energy resilience project designed to strengthen community preparedness, reduce operating costs and create a healthier future for Imperial Beach families.
The project, a 25.5-kilowatt solar energy system paired with a 54-kilowatt-hour battery storage system, was installed by Aloha Solar Power, an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 569 union contractor, and made possible through a collaborative effort led by Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation and its partners. The system will help the Club continue serving youth and families during emergencies and power outages while strengthening community resilience and preparedness. The Club is expected to save approximately $12,000 in utility bills in its first year and more than $465,000 over the next 30 years, creating long-term financial benefits that will be reinvested into youth programs and services.
"For many families, the Boys & Girls Club is much more than an after-school program — it's a safe and trusted space where young people learn, grow and build community," said Stephanie James, chief executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of South County. "This investment strengthens our ability to support the children and families who rely on us every day while helping us prepare for whatever challenges the future may bring."
While Imperial Beach continues to face environmental challenges that have drawn regional, statewide and national attention, the event highlighted a different story — one of investment, partnership, dedication, community resilience and hope for a healthier future. Project partners celebrated a transformative investment that will create healthier environments, expand educational opportunities and strengthen long-term resilience for local youth and families.
"Today's ribbon cutting is about more than clean energy. It is about ensuring that this club can continue serving young people and families when they need it most," said Supervisor Paloma Aguirre, who represents District 1 on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and previously served as mayor of Imperial Beach. "It also represents a commitment to environmental justice. Communities that have experienced the greatest environmental impacts should be among the first to benefit from clean energy investments and modern infrastructure, but we know that that is not always the case."
The project also creates opportunities for hands-on learning and workforce development, helping introduce young people to clean energy technologies and potential career pathways in sustainability and the skilled trades. Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Club youth participated in a hands-on solar oven demonstration led by Jim La Joie, inventor of the All Season Solar Cooker and founder of SolCook. The demonstration introduced youth to solar energy principles, solar cooking, and career opportunities in clean energy and sustainability.
While the ribbon-cutting marked the completion of the solar and battery project, partners emphasized that it also serves as a foundation for future investments in health, education and resilience that will benefit youth and families in Imperial Beach and beyond.
"While the ribbon-cutting marks the completion of an important project, the opportunities created by this investment extend far beyond today's celebration," said Tara Hammond, founder and executive director of Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation. "Through our Holistic Healthy Communities Pilot Program at the Club, we look forward to building on this foundation by advancing healthier indoor and outdoor environments, expanding climate education opportunities and helping create an even stronger, healthier and more resilient future for the youth and families served here."
The Boys & Girls Clubs of South County's clean energy resilience project was made possible through a collaborative effort involving Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation, BQuest Foundation, Aloha Solar Power, IBEW Local 569, San Diego Community Power in partnership with the San Diego Foundation and Calpine Community Energy, along with philanthropic partners, donors and community members committed to advancing equitable climate solutions in the South Bay.
The Oceanside Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program is delivering measurable progress by advancing clean energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and investing in community-serving organizations across the city.
Oceanside, CA — The Oceanside Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program is delivering measurable progress by advancing clean energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and investing in community-serving organizations across the city.
Launched in September 2025, the current phase of the program is already nearing completion on multiple projects just six months in. Funded by Preserve Calavera in partnership with the San Diego Foundation and managed by Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation, the initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen local climate action, build community resilience and advance equitable climate solutions. Funded projects include solar and battery installations for nonprofit facilities and low-income households, along with expanded food recovery efforts that reduce waste and emissions while increasing access to fresh, healthy food.
At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest San Diego’s Oceanside Clubhouse, critical pre-installation improvements have been completed, preparing the site for a solar and storage system that will reduce long-term electricity use and allow the organization to reinvest savings into youth programs. Investments in youth-serving organizations are also creating long-term community benefits and supporting local union jobs. “This gift is about so much more than solar panels. It’s an investment in our community, our future, and the young people who walk through our doors every day. By reducing our energy costs, we can direct more resources where they have the greatest impact supporting youth,” said Marineke Vandervort, CEO.
Similarly, the North County Alano Club has begun installation of a solar and battery system that will significantly lower operating costs and emissions.
“Since the 1960s, the North County Alano Club has been helping alcoholics and other addicts recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body — serving an average 4,000 people each month in 2025,” said Dan McSwain, a representative from the organization. “We rely 100% on donations, usually $1 at a time, and operate on a very tight budget. The result of this grant is reducing our overall expenses by 25 percent, allowing us to not only survive but thrive for decades to come.”
In addition to clean energy projects, the program is advancing climate and food equity through ProduceGood’s CropCircle Collective initiative, which has already recovered nearly 3,000 pounds of produce and is scaling operations across Oceanside.
“ProduceGood is focused on climate and social equity. Through the generous support of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program, the organization will increase food recovery by 100% in Oceanside while increasing access to fresh produce for hundreds of families.”
The program also expanded access to clean energy for low-income households. A few lucky families were able to have no-cost solar and battery systems installed in Oceanside’s Communities of Concern. These installations are expected to deliver more than 24 metric tons of annual greenhouse gas reductions while lowering energy bills and providing backup power during outages.
“Through the Oceanside Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program, this funding enables the delivery of no-cost solar plus battery systems to Oceanside households, directly reducing local emissions while strengthening community resilience,” said Ben Airth, Policy Director at Freedom Forever. “By keeping climate dollars in the community, the program helps lower electric bills and ensures families can maintain power when the grid is stressed. We are honored to work alongside Preserve Calavera and Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation to make these projects possible and hope this success paves the way for similar climate investments in other cities.”
These projects demonstrate how targeted, community-based climate investments can reduce emissions, lower costs, lessen stress on California’s aging electrical grid, offer energy resilience and deliver meaningful benefits to the community.
Additional announcements are expected as projects reach completion and further impacts are realized.
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