Grant Recipients Announced for Black Rock Wind’s Annual Community Benefit Funds
Local board selects recipients for Black Rock Wind’s $51,000 grant distribution, including volunteer fire departments and local educational programs
Keyser, WV – The US Wind Force Foundation, Inc. has announced the local grant recipients for the Community Benefit Fund sponsored by the Black Rock Wind, which is owned and operated by Clearway Energy. Ten grants ranging from $1,000 to $15,000, totaling over $51,000, were allocated to local non-profit organizations.
The Black Rock Allocation Committee recently met and reviewed 32 applications for the 2026 grant cycle. Mineral County resident Keri Whitacre chaired the committee. “Leading this committee to support local organizations through targeted funding has been extremely rewarding. These grants reflect the strength of our communities and the meaningful impact that local organizations make every day. A sincere thank you to Clearway Energy and Laurel Renewable Partners for their continued commitment to giving back to our communities.”
The 2026 grant recipients are as follows:
| Organization | Grant Amount | Purpose |
| Aging & Family Services of Mineral Co, Inc | $1,000 | Paving of the walking trail at the Frankfort Senior Center |
| Compelled 2 Change | $3,000 | Implementation of the Earned Exposure program, a structured youth development initiative |
| Developmental Center & Workshop, Inc | $3,736 | Purchase of a new heating/cooling system to provide a comfortable environment for adults with disabilities and their staff |
| Grant Co Chamber of Commerce | $2,375 | Purchase of four octagon tables with benches attached for the downtown Petersburg Becky Alt-Landhart Pavilion |
| Keyser Volunteer Fire Dept | $2,070 | Purchase of three Seek FirePro 200 thermal cameras |
| Kitzmiller Volunteer Fire Dept | $3,820.12 | Purchase of a multi-gas meter |
| Powder Keg Outreach, Inc | $10,000 | Completion of the interior of the classroom space on the farm |
| South Side Studios WV | $15,000 | Purchase and installation of an external lift for accessibility to second floor of the South Side Depot where the Studios are located |
| Town of Carpendale | $5,000 | Completion of building upgrades to Town Hall |
| Union Educational Complex | $5,000 | Replacement of two swing sets on the playground |
| TOTAL | $51,001.12 |
Clearway and the Directors and Officers of the US Wind Force Foundation extend a special appreciation to the members of the Allocation Committee: Keri Whitacre, Chair; Randy Crane, Vice-Chair; Dana Carr, Kristi Evans, Carla Kaposy, John Lecky, Suzanne Park Lewis, and Tony Stutts. Their service to the Foundation and their community is critical to the annual grant review process. Members meet at Clearway’s Black Rock Wind to review each application received for the year.
At the start of commercial operations. Clearway voluntarily committed to donate $133,214 to the Black Rock Community Benefit Fund in 2022, and $50,000 per year for the life of the project. “We are honored to support our local communities,” said Doug Vance, Clearway’s site manager at Black Rock and Pinnacle Wind. “We sincerely appreciate the dedication, collaboration, and countless hours contributed by each organization and allocation committee member toward this effort! We believe these are meaningful projects and we are proud to demonstrate our commitment to the communities in this manner.”