Utility-scale solar and storage.
Built for corporate energy buyers.
Designed for community impact.

Volt develops, finances and delivers utility-scale solar and storage for corporate energy buyers, and structures Community Impact PPAs that invest in the communities where projects are built.

350+ MW of clean energy projects successfully developed for leading companies, including Microsoft and Google
350+ MWCommunity Impact PPAs developed for Microsoft and Google
$25MCommunity impact funds allocated through Volt Energy Utility projects
$3M+Sharing the Power grants in data center and solar project communities since 2021
20States and D.C. with community grant investments
The Volt advantage

Beyond megawatts: a new model for energy partnership

As AI and data center demand accelerates, the companies building tomorrow’s infrastructure need clean power and community trust. Volt delivers both, connecting project economics to investments shaped by community priorities.

Clean energy procurement

Utility-scale solar PPAs and storage that meet corporate energy, AI and data center growth goals.

Community partnership

Proactive listening, meaningful engagement and locally guided investment where we develop projects.

Measurable impact

Workforce development, energy affordability and local economic opportunity, tracked and reported.

How the Community Impact PPA works

One project. Clean megawatts for the buyer, lasting investment for the community.

Volt’s Community Impact PPAs deliver significant community impact investments, managed and administered by Sharing the Power Foundation, which invests in the data center communities located near each solar and storage project.

Utility-scale solar farm at sunset1

Develop energy projects

Volt originates and co-develops utility-scale solar and storage with experienced development partners.

Data center at dusk2

Structure the Community Impact PPA

The buyer and developer sign a traditional PPA or VPPA. A separate Community Impact Funding Agreement sets Volt’s contribution at commercial operation and the fund’s governance.

Residents and local leaders in a community meeting3

Deliver community investment

Sharing the Power Foundation, an independent nonprofit, invests in the data center communities near each solar and storage project, leading grantmaking with local partners and reporting on outcomes.

Governance & reporting

Independent fiduciary

A separate 501(c)(3) manages more than $25M in community impact funds.

Community-led grantmaking

Local advisory groups of residents and leaders help decide where funding goes.

Shared decision-making

Programs are designed with local partners to build on community strengths.

Transparent reporting

Every dollar is vetted, funded and measured against the same standard.

Microsoft
First of its kind

Microsoft became the first offtaker to make community investment a contractual part of its PPA: a 250 MW framework across MISO & PJM with $25M in community impact funds.

Read the case study →

Our Footprint | Solar Development & Community Impact


Solar projects developed (350+ MW) Community grant investments

Community Impact at a Glance

Dotted U.S. map with the states where Sharing the Power Foundation has made community grant investments highlighted in green, with the Sharing the Power Foundation logo in the centerReach
20

States and D.C. with community grant investments made by Sharing the Power Foundation

Volt team speaking with residents at a community eventCommunity grants
$3M+

Community grants distributed and administered by Sharing the Power Foundation

HBCU Energy and Sustainability Fellows: Abby Armstrong (West Virginia University), Austin King (Howard University), Paris Williamson (Xavier University of Louisiana), Joseph Carter (Texas Southern University), Arianna Smith-Forte (Spelman College) and Skyler Carrillo (Tuskegee University)STEM education
$1M+

Scholarships awarded to Sharing the Power’s HBCU Energy & Sustainability Fellows

Clean energy trainees in hard hats at a solar siteWorkforce
2,500+

Workers retrained and placed in good-paying jobs*

Resident reviewing an energy billEnergy affordability
10,000+

Households supported with energy bill assistance and weatherization initiatives*

Goodr mobile grocery store truckHealthy communities
35M+

Meals served in food-insecure communities*

*Results from grantees funded.

Media

Latest News


MORE NEWS →

What we do

Our Community Impact PPAs

Volt develops utility-scale solar and storage projects and structures Community Impact PPAs that connect corporate clean energy procurement with meaningful local investment.

Our Community Impact PPAs
Partner with Volt

Let’s reimagine energy infrastructure, together.

Start the conversation →
Gilbert Campbell leading a site walk at a Volt solar project under construction
About Us

Volt Energy Utility

Volt Energy Utility develops, finances and delivers utility-scale solar and storage projects. Corporate energy buyers come to us for utility-scale solar and storage that delivers on two fronts: clean megawatts at scale, and measurable benefits for the communities that host them. Volt has delivered over 350 MW of utility-scale solar for companies including Microsoft and Google, and our Community Impact PPAs fund local investment through Sharing the Power Foundation.

A father carries his daughter on his shoulders through a field at sunset
The Volt Difference

Beyond megawatts: building community trust through clean energy

Volt delivers utility-scale solar and storage to corporate energy buyers through the Community Impact PPA, a model we pioneered that builds long-term community investment directly into the power purchase agreement. To advance that mission, Volt founded Sharing the Power Foundation, a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has invested in communities nationwide for five years.

Our approach led to a historic Community Impact PPA framework agreement with Microsoft to deliver 250 MW of utility-scale solar, followed by a Community Impact PPA with Google. Volt and Microsoft co-authored white papers on integrating community investment into clean energy procurement, and Volt has joined Microsoft and Google on industry panels to encourage broader adoption.

As community distrust of large-scale energy infrastructure and data centers grows, Volt bridges the gap between corporate energy buyers, developers and local communities, delivering projects that create lasting economic opportunity and ensure communities share in the benefits.

350+ MWCommunity Impact PPAs developed for Microsoft and Google
$25MCommunity impact funds allocated through Volt Energy Utility projects
$3M+Sharing the Power grants in data center and solar project communities since 2021
20States and D.C. with community grant investments
Our history

From the Community Impact PPA model to corporate adoption

  1. Launch

    Pioneering the model

    Volt pioneered the Community Impact PPA and announced a 250 MW framework with Microsoft.

  2. Foundation

    Sharing the Power begins

    Sharing the Power Foundation began operating as an independent 501(c)(3) that invests in local priorities.

  3. Adoption

    More buyers join

    Volt expanded corporate adoption of the model. A Community Impact PPA with Google followed.

  4. Scale

    Where we are today

    350+ MW and counting. The need for clean energy, community engagement and local investment has never been greater. That’s our DNA.

Cover of the Volt Energy Utility Corporate Overview
Download our corporate overview

Utility-scale solar and storage, with community impact built in

A concise guide for corporate energy buyers: how a Community Impact PPA is structured and governed, the results behind our work with Microsoft, and where Volt projects and community investments are making a difference.

Community voices

In the words of the people we serve

Jacob Israel Hannah
“What a pleasure and honor it was for us, thank you for making the time to be with us in person and for our continued partnership! Truly meant a lot to our folks!”
Jacob Israel Hannah Chief Executive Officer, Coalfield Development Corporation
Kaiwan Bial
“As an applied physicist, being a Fellow has shown me how to contribute my technical skills with a policy-oriented approach. I learned how to approach research at the intersection of community-centered work and innovation, and I cannot wait to bring these skills into my career.”
Kaiwan Bial University of Michigan, 2026 Clean Energy Fellow
Gilbert Campbell speaking on stage
From our founder

“The communities that host America’s energy future deserve to share in its benefits.”

Gilbert CampbellFounder & CEO, Volt Energy Utility

Our Team


Gilbert Campbell

Gilbert Campbell

Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Read bio

Gilbert Campbell is the founder and chief executive officer of Volt Energy Utility, a national clean energy firm that develops utility-scale solar and energy storage projects. Under his leadership, Volt has successfully developed over 350 MW of utility-scale solar projects for Fortune 100 corporations. These projects include significant investment in local communities through the Community Impact Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) model Volt pioneered. Volt signed a historic deal with Microsoft to deliver 250 MW of utility-scale solar under its Community Impact PPA model. Volt has also developed utility-scale solar projects for Google and other companies under this model.

Campbell chairs the board of Sharing the Power Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit established by Volt to help carry out those community commitments. The foundation works with local organizations to support workforce and economic development, energy affordability, STEM education, and community health. It has invested more than $4 million in rural and urban communities across the country, including more than $3 million in community grants and $1 million in scholarships for students at historically Black colleges and universities.

Campbell advocates for energy policies that accelerate clean energy deployment, support workforce and economic development, and benefit local communities. He regularly advises federal and local officials, corporations, and other stakeholders on energy policy and best practices. He has worked closely with members of Congress from both parties on clean energy legislation and has testified before Congress on several occasions.

Campbell serves on the boards of the Solar Energy Industries Association and the American Association of Blacks in Energy, where he chairs the Entrepreneurship Committee. He recently completed his term on the board of the Clean Energy Buyers Alliance (CEBA) and previously served on the 3Degrees Advisory Board.

In 2016, the Obama administration recognized Campbell’s leadership in advancing climate equity with a White House Champions of Change Award. His company’s 2011 solar installation at Florida Avenue Baptist Church is featured in the Obama Presidential Library. He was also named to EBONY magazine’s Power 100 list and received the Amtrak and Washington Wizards Pioneer Award. Campbell graduated magna cum laude from Howard University with a B.B.A. in finance and completed postgraduate leadership training at Harvard University.

Eric Grant

Eric Grant

Partner
Read bio

Eric is responsible for Volt’s external affairs, marketing and communications. He also directs the management and governance of the Community Impact Fund, as set out in Volt’s Community Impact PPA (originally the Environmental Justice Power Purchase Agreement). Eric has over 30 years of experience in the energy sector.

As former vice president of government affairs and communications for WGL Energy and Washington Gas, he directed the company’s multi-state government and public affairs, federal government affairs, external and crisis communications, media relations, branding and corporate giving. His government affairs team led the lobbying efforts for the landmark utility infrastructure repair and replacement law in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Early in his career, he served as manager of state government affairs at The American Petroleum Institute.

For almost a decade, he served as spokesperson, director of communications, public affairs and corporate philanthropy at The Washington Post. His non-profit experience included five years as director of cause marketing and mega city grants for Special Olympics, Inc., structuring major corporate sponsorships with such companies as Lands’ End, Subaru, Raymond Co., AMF, and Hoyle Cards. He has served on several boards including: Volt Energy, LLC., the DC and Maryland Chambers of Commerce, Red Cross - National Capital Region, and the Black Student Fund.

Eric is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the Landeggar International Business Executive Program at Georgetown University.

Barry Schochet

Barry Schochet

Partner (In Memoriam)
Read bio

Barry Schochet was instrumental in the founding of Volt. His foresight, wisdom and support set the tone for Volt’s mission. A distinguished attorney with extensive business development experience, Barry served as a Managing Partner for Volt Energy and oversaw business development and strategy for the company.

He received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his J.D. from Emory University. His career included private law practice and service in the United States Senate where he was counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee and Staff Director for the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East and South Asia.

He crafted significant projects in both the US and international markets. These projects included: the food service, real estate, restaurant, financial, and solar industries. Mr. Schochet was also an early limited partner with The Cheesecake Factory and played an integral part in the company's early expansion nationwide and initial public offering.

Jean Nelson-Houpert

Jean Nelson-Houpert

Chief Financial Officer
Read bio

Jean Nelson-Houpert is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Volt Energy Utility, a national Minority-Owned utility-scale developer in Washington, DC, and the Financial Counselor at Sharing The Power Foundation. She oversees all financial aspects of the company, ensuring its continued success and stability. Additionally, Jean volunteers financial counsel to the Sharing the Power Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Volt Energy Utility, to support organizations that provide services to urban and rural communities disproportionately affected by climate change, air and water pollution, and inaccessibility to renewable energy opportunities.

With over 25 years of experience in finance, public, and corporate accounting, Jean served as the inaugural Chief Financial Officer and Interim CEO at the DC Green Bank for three years, leading the organization from its inception until September 2023. She began her career in public accounting as a financial institution specialist with Grant Thornton, LLP. She served incorporate positions as interim CEO, Chief Financial Officer, and Director of Accounting at various organizations.

Jean received her Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance, graduating cum laude from Temple University's Fox School of Business, and acquired a Master of Jurisprudence in Labor and Employment from Tulane Law School. She also holds a certification from Columbia Business School in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) Investing and a certificate in Sustainable Management. Jean serves on the Board of Directors of Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE), the Advisory Council of the Washington Area Community Investment Fund (Wacif), and the advisory boards of Village Capital and Halcyon House.

Partner with Volt

Let’s reimagine energy infrastructure, together.

Start the conversation →
SHARING THE POWERFOUNDATION

Volt builds the projects. Sharing the Power puts the proceeds to work.

Founded by Volt in 2021, the Sharing the Power Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) that leads community engagement, manages Community Impact Fund investments and reports outcomes, so every dollar is vetted, funded and measured against the same standard.

A father holds his daughter on his shoulders overlooking a solar field at sunrise
SHARING THE POWERFOUNDATION

Learn more about Sharing the Power Foundation’s grantmaking, community partners and impact reporting.

Visit sharingthepower.org →
The first Community Impact PPA

No precedent. No template.

Microsoft became the first offtaker to make community investment a contractual part of its PPA.

FirstOfftaker to execute a Community Impact PPA
250 MWSolar projects in MISO & PJM, developed by Volt Energy Utility
$25MCommunity impact funds allocated from Microsoft Community Impact PPAs

Beyond the first deal: Microsoft and Volt co-published white papers and shared lessons learned with other hyperscalers, helping establish a repeatable, scalable model for clean energy procurement with community benefits built in.

Sharing the Power Foundation investment pillars: Workforce and Economic Development (2,500+ workers retrained and placed in good-paying jobs, partner organization results); Energy Affordability (10,000+ households supported with energy burden relief, partner organization results); STEM Education ($1M+ scholarships awarded to HBCU Energy and Sustainability Fellows); Healthy Communities (35 million meals served, partner organization results); Community Engagement (100+ community organizations supported in 19 states and D.C.). $3M+ community grants distributed 2021 to 2026; 90+ HBCU Clean Energy Fellows supported; 20 states and D.C. with community investments; 5 years of impact.
Explore the five investment areas on sharingthepower.org
Sharing the Power Foundation

Projects that create change


Retraining the Coalfield Workforce slide from Sharing the Power Foundation
Select partners
Coalfield Development
Center for Coalfield Justice
Appalachian Voices
Energy Affordability slide from Sharing the Power Foundation
Select partners
United Way of the Midlands
Hispanic Access Foundation
Virginia Interfaith Power & Light
The Energy and Sustainability Fellowship Program slide from Sharing the Power Foundation
Select partners
Howard University
Morehouse College
Alcorn State University
HBCU national cohort
Microsoft
Google
Amazon
Addressing Access to Healthy Foods slide from Sharing the Power Foundation
Select partners
Goodr
West Atlanta Watershed Alliance

Workforce, energy affordability and food security figures are results from partner organizations funded by Sharing the Power Foundation.

Gilbert Campbell on the Equity in the Age of AI panel at the 2026 Tunica Policy Conference
“Equity in the Age of AI” panel, Tunica Policy Conference 2026
Community engagement

We build trust before the deal, not after it.

As data centers and large energy projects face growing community resistance, Volt and the Sharing the Power Foundation bring residents, local officials and corporate partners to the same table. The Foundation hosts forums, policy conferences and listening sessions, and provides plain-language education on energy, water and tax impacts so communities can weigh projects from knowledge rather than rumor.

At the 2026 Tunica Policy Conference in Mississippi, Gilbert Campbell joined the “Equity in the Age of AI” panel hosted by Congressman Bennie Thompson, alongside Congressman Jim Clyburn and community leaders, on how data centers and clean energy development can create lasting local opportunity.

Talent pipeline

Building the clean energy workforce our clients hire from

The Sharing the Power Foundation’s HBCU Energy & Sustainability Fellowship places students from historically Black colleges and universities and other schools in paid roles across the clean energy economy.

90+Fellows placed
$1M+Scholarships awarded
22Fellows in the 2026 class

2026 fellows were placed at organizations including

  • Microsoft
  • Google
  • Amazon
  • Meta
  • Southern Company
  • Exelon/Pepco
  • DuPont
  • Goldman Sachs
  • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Meet the fellows →
2026 HBCU Energy and Sustainability Fellowship Program fellows, page 1
2026 HBCU Energy and Sustainability Fellowship Program fellows, page 2
Governance and reporting

Community impact you can report on

Every Community Impact PPA directs funding to an independent nonprofit with a clear process, so buyers can stand behind the results.

Independent fiduciary

The Sharing the Power Foundation is a separate 501(c)(3) that manages more than $25M in community impact funds as an independent fiduciary.

Community-led grantmaking

We listen first. Local advisory groups of residents and community leaders help decide where funding goes.

Shared decision-making

Grant programs are designed with local partners so funding builds on existing community strengths.

Transparent reporting

Outcomes are tracked and reported, so every dollar is vetted, funded and measured against the same standard.

Partner with Volt

Let’s reimagine energy infrastructure, together.

Start the conversation →

Media

Video

Gilbert Campbell on Clean Energy and Community Investment

Gilbert Campbell and Etan Thomas in conversation ▶1:37

Washington Wizards Spotlight

Wizards alum Etan Thomas sits down with Gilbert Campbell at Howard University to talk about Volt and its 250 MW agreement with Microsoft.

Washington Wizards · Black-Owned DMV series · plays on NBA.com

Power For The People

Gilbert Campbell on how Volt brings clean energy, and an understanding of energy bills, to the communities hardest hit by climate change.

The Philadelphia Citizen

Clean Energy as a Wealth Creation Vehicle

Gilbert Campbell joins SunCast Media to share how Volt is using clean energy to empower underserved communities.

SunCast Media

Press & News
Partner with Volt

Let’s reimagine energy infrastructure, together.

Start the conversation →
A new model for partnership

Let’s reimagine energy infrastructure, together.

A worker in a hard hat and a family look out over a solar field at sunset

Buying power, building projects or serving a community? Our team looks forward to partnering with you.

2001 L Street NW, Suite 500 · Washington, DC 20036 · 202-729-8150

Legal

Privacy Policy

Effective November 9, 2026

Volt Energy Utility (“Volt,” “we,” “us”) respects your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect through voltenergyutility.com (the “Site”), how we use it, and the choices you have.

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We may also disclose information if required by law, to protect the safety or rights of Volt or others, or in connection with a merger, financing or sale of business assets.

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You may ask us to access, correct or delete the personal information you’ve provided, or to stop contacting you. Depending on where you live (for example, California, Virginia or other states with privacy laws), you may have additional rights, and we will honor them as required. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.

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Contact us

Volt Energy Utility
2001 L Street NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036
202-729-8150
gcampbell@voltenergyutility.com

Legal

Terms of Use

Effective November 9, 2026

Welcome to voltenergyutility.com (the “Site”), operated by Volt Energy Utility (“Volt,” “we,” “us”). By using the Site, you agree to these Terms of Use. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.

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Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The effective date above shows when they were last revised, and continued use of the Site means you accept the updated Terms.

Contact us

Volt Energy Utility
2001 L Street NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036
202-729-8150
gcampbell@voltenergyutility.com

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