Voices of Unity: Cleveland Owns
CLEVELAND (WJW) – Solar energy is already on the ground in East Cleveland at the Medical Center Company’s (MCCo) solar field. Soon, even more panels could make their way to a nearby roof.
“It’s a way to one, put more solar on the on the grid, two, have democratic ownership, and three, get people actually invested and participating in the clean energy economy so that the clean energy economy is not something that only happens to those with access to privilege and wealth,” said Jonathan Welle, lead organizer for Cleveland Owns.
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As an economic democracy incubator, Cleveland Owns acts as a founder, or in some cases, consultant, on co-ops that can look like a business or a community project. However, the goal never changes. It’s always about building community power and wealth.
“We’re working with two groups that are starting community-owned solar co-ops,” said Welle. “We’re working with a group that’s starting a food co-op in the Central and Kinsmen neighborhood. We’re working with a group of nonprofits that are coming together to start a purchasing co-op called Power Up Purchasing Cooperative.
At writing, Cleveland Solar Co-op has 55 member-owners. They would like 200.
During community round tables, Welle and staff actively recruit East Clevelanders to join with a one-time membership fee of 20 dollars. Membership grants individuals the ability to vote and invest in projects.
“So, we agree on how we’re going to make decisions, and then people put their money together to go out and actually buy and collectively own a solar array. We’re going to put that solar array on the roof of a nonprofit, which will commit to buying the power that gets generated by the solar on its roof. That money will pay back the member-owners of the Cleveland solar coop who funded the array in the first place,” said Welle.
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How much power are we talking about? Welle told Fox 8 that the amount of solar the co-op hopes to generate over the array’s lifetime could charge one million cell phones.
The Cuyahoga County Land Bank will host the solar array on top of the former Mickey’s building in East Cleveland. Dennis Roberts, real estate director for the County Land Bank, showed FOX 8 the land bank’s plans to revitalize the surrounding area, dubbed the Circle East District.
Roberts said with new green space and homes equipped with solar panel roofs, the solar array will only enhance the Land Bank’s commitment to energy efficiency and supporting community health and wealth.
“East Cleveland has been undercapitalized for many, many years, and we think this would be an ideal place to demonstrate that if East Cleveland can be on the leading edge of technology, green energy, that any community can,” said Roberts. “And it could just be a shining light and example of what could be done when governments, nonprofits, and for-profits come together and are committed to a certain important goal.”
Pastor Darnell Jennings is part of a fast-growing base of the co-op’s member-owners in East Cleveland. He said the opportunity to decide when to sell a project or when to expand won him and even some of his parishioners over.
“I’m looking forward to seeing others join the co-op and them seeing the progress that’s going to be made because reality, this is going to be the norm. Solar panels and electric assets,” said Jennings.
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The norm, as Cleveland Owns sees it, is rooftops across the region, covered in solar panels, generating clean, renewable energy owned by the community. Welle said it may not make member-owners rich, but they will learn how collective ownership works and have a seat at the table.
“Only when we live in a city where ownership is distributed equitably will we live in an equitable city. So, we’re working to make that a reality starting in East Cleveland,” said Welle.
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