Tag: PR Newswire

TULSA, Okla., Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The University of Tulsa’s Center for Global Engagement has announced that 11 students were awarded a combined total of $34,500 in grants through the competitive Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. This is the highest number of recipients on record for UTulsa and marks a significant achievement for the students, providing crucial financial support for their academic endeavors abroad.

The 11 award recipients will pursue diverse international study opportunities, with seven students receiving grants for travel courses and four students earning awards for semester, summer or year-long programs.

In addition to the base scholarship, two students received supplemental awards for high-priority global areas and fields:

• One student received the Gilman-STEM Supplemental Award for study in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics field.
• One student received the Gilman-DAAD Supplemental Award, in partnership with the German Academic Exchange Service.

“Winning this award is an incredible honor and a meaningful affirmation of the work I’ve put into my academic and personal growth. It represents both the recognition of my potential and the trust that others have in my ability to make the most of this experience,” said recipient Andrea Taylor, a sophomore Spanish and biochemistry major from Tulsa who will travel to Spain. “The opportunity to go abroad means expanding my perspective in ways that aren’t possible inside a classroom. It gives me the chance to immerse myself in a new culture, challenge myself in unfamiliar environments and develop independence, adaptability and global awareness.”

Other recipients are:

• Oswaldo Atilano, a nursing junior from Tulsa, who will study in Peru
• Angel Gutierrez, an international engineering and language student from Mounds, who is headed to Thailand
• Kasra Iranpour, a mechanical engineering junior from Edmond, who will study in Belgium and the Netherlands
• Michelle Jones, a music senior from Broken Arrow, who will study in Italy
• Vung Kop, a business information systems junior from Jenks, who will study in India
• Aiva P. Liman, a cybersecurity sophomore from Houston, who will study in China
• Jennifer Luna, a psychology senior from Jenks, who will study in China and Japan
• Bristie Rahman, a cybersecurity senior from Sapulpa, who will study in China
• Harrison Schwichtenberg, a biology senior from Tulsa, who will study in Thailand
• Alexis Watson, an international science and language student from Wichita, Kansas, who is headed to Germany

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SOURCE The University of Tulsa

$25,000 grant to provide 200,000 servings of fresh milk to Pennsylvania families in need

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Marking a decade of support for Feeding Pennsylvania’s Fill a Glass with Hope® program, the FirstEnergy Foundation today awarded a $25,000 grant during the initiative’s 2026 kickoff at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg. This contribution brings the Foundation’s total investment in the program to $250,000 since 2016 and demonstrates its commitment to strengthening communities and addressing food insecurity.

As the nation’s first statewide charitable fresh milk program, Fill a Glass with Hope® has helped Pennsylvania food banks provide families in need with more than 41 million servings of milk – which is enough to provide three glasses of milk to every Pennsylvania resident. The program is a collaboration between Feeding Pennsylvania, the American Dairy Association Northeast and the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association.

Every Dollar Makes a Difference
Milk is one of the most requested items at food banks, yet it’s rarely donated because it’s perishable. This program bridges the gap and delivers fresh, nutritious milk to families in the Commonwealth, particularly children. According to Feeding Pennsylvania, every $1 donated provides eight glasses of milk to local food banks.  

John Hawkins, President of FirstEnergy Pennsylvania: “Our commitment to the communities we serve goes far beyond keeping the lights on. This year, the FirstEnergy Foundation’s $25,000 donation will provide approximately 200,000 servings of milk to families in need across Pennsylvania, many of whom live within our service areas.”

This contribution follows the Foundation’s recent distribution of $750,000 in grants to 37 food banks and pantries across Pennsylvania during Hunger Action Month in September 2025. In total, the initiative provided $2.5 million to 104 hunger-relief organizations across the six states served by FirstEnergy and its companies, marking the Foundation’s largest hunger-relief investment to date.

To learn more about the Fill a Glass with Hope program or provide support, visit http://www.feedingpa.org.

About the FirstEnergy Foundation
The FirstEnergy Foundation provides support to 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofits that serve and meet the critical needs of customers in communities served by FirstEnergy’s electric operating companies and in areas where the company conducts business. The Foundation distributed more than $5.5 million in community support across FirstEnergy’s service area in 2025.

The FirstEnergy Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. For more information about grant opportunities or corporate sponsorships, visit the FirstEnergy Foundation webpage or email inquiries to FirstEnergy’s Community Involvement team.

FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric systems, serving more than six million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company’s transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com and on X @FirstEnergyCorp.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

Former Managing Partner of Skadden’s Palo Alto office joins Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt’s space-based energy infrastructure company to lead worldwide operations, legal and regulatory affairs

SAN CARLOS, Calif., Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Aetherflux, the space-based solar power company founded by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, today announced the appointment of Joe Yaffe as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Legal Officer (CLO). In this dual executive role, Yaffe will oversee the company’s worldwide operations, legal, and regulatory affairs. Yaffe’s appointment follows Aetherlux’s recent $90M Series A financing and the announcement that it is targeting Q1 2027 for the first launch of its “Galactic Brain” orbital data center project.

“Aetherflux is tackling two of the hardest problems in the modern world: energy abundance and the infrastructure for next-generation compute. The world-class team we are building is critical to our approach,” said Baiju Bhatt, Founder and CEO of Aetherflux. “Joe brings a rare combination of operational discipline and strategic judgment, having guided companies through their most complex stages of growth. I am excited to welcome him as a partner to help us navigate the next frontier of the space economy.”

Yaffe joins Aetherflux following a distinguished career as the Managing Partner of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP’s Palo Alto office. With over three decades of experience, he has advised high-growth technology companies, founders, and boards on critical governance, strategic transactions, and compensation issues. His move to an executive operator role underscores Aetherflux’s focus on building the organizational and regulatory infrastructure required to successfully harness and commercialize space-based solar power. Yaffe will be based out of the company’s headquarters in San Carlos, California.

“Joining Aetherflux is a rare opportunity to contribute to a mission that will fundamentally change how humanity accesses and uses energy, and is uniquely poised to solve the energy crisis hindering the race to artificial intelligence,” said Joe Yaffe, incoming COO and CLO. “Baiju and the team are rewriting the playbook for orbital infrastructure, and I look forward to building the operational backbone that turns this vision into a reality.”

Aetherflux recently announced a Q1 2027 target for its first orbital data center satellite, which leverages solar power in space to address the massive energy needs for artificial intelligence. The project, dubbed “Galactic Brain”, offers a bypass to the current five-to-eight-year time horizon for data centers to be built on Earth. This builds upon the company’s existing work developing space-solar satellites for beaming power to contested environments. In 2026, the company plans to launch its first satellite to wirelessly transmit energy from low Earth orbit to Earth using lasers.

About Aetherflux
Aetherflux is revolutionizing energy distribution by harvesting solar power in space and beaming it to Earth via infrared lasers. Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt, the company is building a constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to provide resilient, scalable power to remote or contested environments around the world.. Backed by Index Ventures, NEA, and other leading investors, Aetherflux is also pioneering the “Galactic Brain,” an orbital compute network powered by space solar to support the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence.

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SOURCE Aetherflux

Former Managing Partner of Skadden’s Palo Alto office joins Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt’s space-based energy infrastructure company to lead worldwide operations, legal and regulatory affairs

SAN CARLOS, Calif., Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Aetherflux, the space-based solar power company founded by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, today announced the appointment of Joe Yaffe as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Legal Officer (CLO). In this dual executive role, Yaffe will oversee the company’s worldwide operations, legal, and regulatory affairs. Yaffe’s appointment follows Aetherlux’s recent $90M Series A financing and the announcement that it is targeting Q1 2027 for the first launch of its “Galactic Brain” orbital data center project.

“Aetherflux is tackling two of the hardest problems in the modern world: energy abundance and the infrastructure for next-generation compute. The world-class team we are building is critical to our approach,” said Baiju Bhatt, Founder and CEO of Aetherflux. “Joe brings a rare combination of operational discipline and strategic judgment, having guided companies through their most complex stages of growth. I am excited to welcome him as a partner to help us navigate the next frontier of the space economy.”

Yaffe joins Aetherflux following a distinguished career as the Managing Partner of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP’s Palo Alto office. With over three decades of experience, he has advised high-growth technology companies, founders, and boards on critical governance, strategic transactions, and compensation issues. His move to an executive operator role underscores Aetherflux’s focus on building the organizational and regulatory infrastructure required to successfully harness and commercialize space-based solar power. Yaffe will be based out of the company’s headquarters in San Carlos, California.

“Joining Aetherflux is a rare opportunity to contribute to a mission that will fundamentally change how humanity accesses and uses energy, and is uniquely poised to solve the energy crisis hindering the race to artificial intelligence,” said Joe Yaffe, incoming COO and CLO. “Baiju and the team are rewriting the playbook for orbital infrastructure, and I look forward to building the operational backbone that turns this vision into a reality.”

Aetherflux recently announced a Q1 2027 target for its first orbital data center satellite, which leverages solar power in space to address the massive energy needs for artificial intelligence. The project, dubbed “Galactic Brain”, offers a bypass to the current five-to-eight-year time horizon for data centers to be built on Earth. This builds upon the company’s existing work developing space-solar satellites for beaming power to contested environments. In 2026, the company plans to launch its first satellite to wirelessly transmit energy from low Earth orbit to Earth using lasers.

About Aetherflux
Aetherflux is revolutionizing energy distribution by harvesting solar power in space and beaming it to Earth via infrared lasers. Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt, the company is building a constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to provide resilient, scalable power to remote or contested environments around the world.. Backed by Index Ventures, NEA, and other leading investors, Aetherflux is also pioneering the “Galactic Brain,” an orbital compute network powered by space solar to support the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence.

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SOURCE Aetherflux

Former Managing Partner of Skadden’s Palo Alto office joins Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt’s space-based energy infrastructure company to lead worldwide operations, legal and regulatory affairs

SAN CARLOS, Calif., Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Aetherflux, the space-based solar power company founded by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, today announced the appointment of Joe Yaffe as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Legal Officer (CLO). In this dual executive role, Yaffe will oversee the company’s worldwide operations, legal, and regulatory affairs. Yaffe’s appointment follows Aetherlux’s recent $90M Series A financing and the announcement that it is targeting Q1 2027 for the first launch of its “Galactic Brain” orbital data center project.

“Aetherflux is tackling two of the hardest problems in the modern world: energy abundance and the infrastructure for next-generation compute. The world-class team we are building is critical to our approach,” said Baiju Bhatt, Founder and CEO of Aetherflux. “Joe brings a rare combination of operational discipline and strategic judgment, having guided companies through their most complex stages of growth. I am excited to welcome him as a partner to help us navigate the next frontier of the space economy.”

Yaffe joins Aetherflux following a distinguished career as the Managing Partner of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP’s Palo Alto office. With over three decades of experience, he has advised high-growth technology companies, founders, and boards on critical governance, strategic transactions, and compensation issues. His move to an executive operator role underscores Aetherflux’s focus on building the organizational and regulatory infrastructure required to successfully harness and commercialize space-based solar power. Yaffe will be based out of the company’s headquarters in San Carlos, California.

“Joining Aetherflux is a rare opportunity to contribute to a mission that will fundamentally change how humanity accesses and uses energy, and is uniquely poised to solve the energy crisis hindering the race to artificial intelligence,” said Joe Yaffe, incoming COO and CLO. “Baiju and the team are rewriting the playbook for orbital infrastructure, and I look forward to building the operational backbone that turns this vision into a reality.”

Aetherflux recently announced a Q1 2027 target for its first orbital data center satellite, which leverages solar power in space to address the massive energy needs for artificial intelligence. The project, dubbed “Galactic Brain”, offers a bypass to the current five-to-eight-year time horizon for data centers to be built on Earth. This builds upon the company’s existing work developing space-solar satellites for beaming power to contested environments. In 2026, the company plans to launch its first satellite to wirelessly transmit energy from low Earth orbit to Earth using lasers.

About Aetherflux
Aetherflux is revolutionizing energy distribution by harvesting solar power in space and beaming it to Earth via infrared lasers. Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt, the company is building a constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to provide resilient, scalable power to remote or contested environments around the world.. Backed by Index Ventures, NEA, and other leading investors, Aetherflux is also pioneering the “Galactic Brain,” an orbital compute network powered by space solar to support the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence.

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SOURCE Aetherflux

Former Managing Partner of Skadden’s Palo Alto office joins Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt’s space-based energy infrastructure company to lead worldwide operations, legal and regulatory affairs

SAN CARLOS, Calif., Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Aetherflux, the space-based solar power company founded by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, today announced the appointment of Joe Yaffe as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Legal Officer (CLO). In this dual executive role, Yaffe will oversee the company’s worldwide operations, legal, and regulatory affairs. Yaffe’s appointment follows Aetherlux’s recent $90M Series A financing and the announcement that it is targeting Q1 2027 for the first launch of its “Galactic Brain” orbital data center project.

“Aetherflux is tackling two of the hardest problems in the modern world: energy abundance and the infrastructure for next-generation compute. The world-class team we are building is critical to our approach,” said Baiju Bhatt, Founder and CEO of Aetherflux. “Joe brings a rare combination of operational discipline and strategic judgment, having guided companies through their most complex stages of growth. I am excited to welcome him as a partner to help us navigate the next frontier of the space economy.”

Yaffe joins Aetherflux following a distinguished career as the Managing Partner of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP’s Palo Alto office. With over three decades of experience, he has advised high-growth technology companies, founders, and boards on critical governance, strategic transactions, and compensation issues. His move to an executive operator role underscores Aetherflux’s focus on building the organizational and regulatory infrastructure required to successfully harness and commercialize space-based solar power. Yaffe will be based out of the company’s headquarters in San Carlos, California.

“Joining Aetherflux is a rare opportunity to contribute to a mission that will fundamentally change how humanity accesses and uses energy, and is uniquely poised to solve the energy crisis hindering the race to artificial intelligence,” said Joe Yaffe, incoming COO and CLO. “Baiju and the team are rewriting the playbook for orbital infrastructure, and I look forward to building the operational backbone that turns this vision into a reality.”

Aetherflux recently announced a Q1 2027 target for its first orbital data center satellite, which leverages solar power in space to address the massive energy needs for artificial intelligence. The project, dubbed “Galactic Brain”, offers a bypass to the current five-to-eight-year time horizon for data centers to be built on Earth. This builds upon the company’s existing work developing space-solar satellites for beaming power to contested environments. In 2026, the company plans to launch its first satellite to wirelessly transmit energy from low Earth orbit to Earth using lasers.

About Aetherflux
Aetherflux is revolutionizing energy distribution by harvesting solar power in space and beaming it to Earth via infrared lasers. Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt, the company is building a constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to provide resilient, scalable power to remote or contested environments around the world.. Backed by Index Ventures, NEA, and other leading investors, Aetherflux is also pioneering the “Galactic Brain,” an orbital compute network powered by space solar to support the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aetherflux-appoints-joe-yaffe-as-chief-operating-officer-and-chief-legal-officer-302657618.html

SOURCE Aetherflux

Texture and WattTime have partnered to bring real-time marginal CO₂ emissions intelligence directly into the Texture platform. Energy services companies can view emissions impact alongside normalized energy data across sites, devices, and portfolios, with no additional setup required. The integration supports clearer operational decision-making, sustainability reporting, and planning by embedding trusted grid emissions data directly into existing workflows.

NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Energy services companies are increasingly incorporating emissions considerations into how they operate, plan, and report. Yet it remains challenging to connect real-time emissions data with day-to-day operational insights and site-level decisions. Texture and WattTime are partnering to address that challenge.

This collaboration brings WattTime’s trusted real-time marginal emissions data directly into the Texture platform, enabling customers to view and act on emissions impact alongside their core energy data — without additional integration work or system configuration.

What This Partnership Enables

The integration allows energy services companies to access emissions intelligence within the same workflows they already use to manage sites, devices, and operational insights in Texture.

Joint Value Highlights

• Real-time emissions visibility: View marginal CO₂ emissions data, supplied by WattTime, directly within Texture.
• Operational context: Emissions data is automatically layered onto normalized energy data (sites, devices, utility bills), enabling clearer understanding of environmental impact.
• Improved decision-making: Organizations can evaluate the emissions implications of consumption patterns, scheduling, and distributed energy operations.
• Scalable and pre-configured: All Texture workspaces include WattTime-powered emissions signals — no extra setup required.

Why This Matters for Energy Services Companies

Integrating emissions data into operational workflows has historically required custom pipelines, manual modeling, or separate systems that don’t align well with day-to-day energy management. For energy services companies, this creates friction: emissions insights may exist, but they often sit outside the context of the operational data needed to act on them.

With Texture, this process becomes significantly more streamlined. The platform already normalizes site, device, and utility data into a consistent structure. By enriching this data with WattTime’s real-time emissions signals, Texture enables organizations to view environmental impact directly alongside operational performance—within a single, unified interface.

This helps energy services companies interpret emissions data more clearly, compare it across portfolios, and incorporate it into reporting, planning, and potential automation use cases without additional integration work. The result is a more practical and accessible way to bring emissions intelligence into both strategic and day-to-day decision-making.

PULL QUOTE:
“Our team has a shared mission to make actionable power grid emissions data as accessible and easy to use as possible, and our partnership with Texture is helping to do just that,” said WattTime’s vice president of strategic growth, Laura Corso. “Texture’s users can now access highly granular data to make more informed decisions about a variety of power grid interventions and find out how their actions affect or, ideally, reduce carbon emissions.”

What’s Available Today

Through the partnership, real-time marginal CO₂ emissions data from WattTime is now incorporated directly into Texture’s Signals framework. This means that emissions impact is automatically available across sites, devices, and portfolio-level views the moment an organization begins using Texture.

Rather than exposing raw data, Texture calculates emissions metrics using WattTime inputs in a way that aligns with partner data agreements while still providing customers with the insights they need. Energy services companies can use this information to assess operational impact, understand consumption patterns in relation to grid emissions, and support internal or customer-facing sustainability reporting.

In addition to what’s currently available, Texture will also introduce avoided emissions metrics in the future. This will give organizations a more complete picture of environmental performance over time and strengthen long-term impact analysis.

About WattTime

WattTime is an environmental tech nonprofit that provides real-time and historical grid emissions data. Founded by UC Berkeley researchers, WattTime develops tools that help organizations incorporate emissions intelligence into energy and sustainability decision-making.

About Texture

Texture is a platform to automate complex grid operations. The platform integrates, normalizes, and enriches data from devices, meters, and markets, giving energy service companies the real-time intelligence needed to manage their networks scale. Texture enables its customers to streamline program operations, improve grid reliability, and deploy advanced energy workflows with confidence.

Get Started

Start incorporating emissions intelligence into your operations today. WattTime-powered emissions signals are available now across all Texture workspaces, with no configuration required. Schedule a demo with Texture to learn more.

Media Contact

Jes Hudgins, Director, Delivery & Ops

press@texturehq.com

https://www.texturehq.com/press

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SOURCE Texture

Three agreements will bring up to 6.6 GW of nuclear generation to the grid by 2035

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CEBA, the Clean Energy Buyers Association, applauds Meta on its latest commitment to clean energy procurement — one of the largest corporate clean energy purchases in U.S. history. This investment of 6.6 GW of clean, reliable nuclear power onto the grid underscores how CEBA members are stepping up to meet rapidly growing electricity demand — supporting economic growth while strengthening U.S. competitiveness in the global technology race.

This announcement builds on the momentum of CEBA members’ collective procurement of more than 24 GW of clean energy in 2025. Additionally, Meta’s commitment to innovative advanced nuclear technology highlights a trend of corporate energy buyers driving solutions now and for the future. Last year, CEBA saw over 3 GW of corporate procurement of clean firm generation, such as nuclear, geothermal, and hydro.

While CEBA anticipates another banner year in 2026, CEBA and our members recognize that scaling these solutions will require continued progress on commonsense yet critical policies and market structures. Advancing these frameworks is essential to accelerating the deployment of low-cost, affordable, and carbon emissions–free power at the pace and scale the U.S. economy requires.

We commend Meta for its leadership and this important milestone, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration to drive meaningful, durable progress toward a cleaner, more reliable energy future.

QUOTE FROM RICH POWELL, CEO, CEBA

“Meta’s latest commitment — bringing 6.6 GW of reliable and advanced nuclear power to the grid — is one of the largest corporate purchases of clean energy in history and demonstrates the critical role energy buyers are playing in meeting growing electricity demand and supporting economic growth,” said Rich Powell, CEBA CEO.

“This historic announcement builds on the more than 24 GW of clean energy procured by CEBA members last year and demonstrates how CEBA members are investing to meet growing electricity demand now and into the future. These investments support U.S. economic growth and global competitiveness, and we applaud Meta’s leadership and look forward to continuing our collaboration to deliver affordable, carbon emissions-free power that will strengthen grid reliability and accelerate clean energy deployment.”

The Clean Energy Buyers Association is a business trade association that activates a community of energy customers and partners to deploy market and policy solutions for a carbon emissions-free energy system. CEBA’s members represent $38 trillion in market capitalization and include institutional energy customers of every type and size — corporate and industrial companies, universities, and cities. For more information, visit cebuyers.org and follow us on X and LinkedIn. 

Contact:
Susan Buehler
sbuehler@cebuyers.org

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ceba-commends-metas-historic-clean-energy-announcement-302657407.html

SOURCE Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA)

Three agreements will bring up to 6.6 GW of nuclear generation to the grid by 2035

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CEBA, the Clean Energy Buyers Association, applauds Meta on its latest commitment to clean energy procurement — one of the largest corporate clean energy purchases in U.S. history. This investment of 6.6 GW of clean, reliable nuclear power onto the grid underscores how CEBA members are stepping up to meet rapidly growing electricity demand — supporting economic growth while strengthening U.S. competitiveness in the global technology race.

This announcement builds on the momentum of CEBA members’ collective procurement of more than 24 GW of clean energy in 2025. Additionally, Meta’s commitment to innovative advanced nuclear technology highlights a trend of corporate energy buyers driving solutions now and for the future. Last year, CEBA saw over 3 GW of corporate procurement of clean firm generation, such as nuclear, geothermal, and hydro.

While CEBA anticipates another banner year in 2026, CEBA and our members recognize that scaling these solutions will require continued progress on commonsense yet critical policies and market structures. Advancing these frameworks is essential to accelerating the deployment of low-cost, affordable, and carbon emissions–free power at the pace and scale the U.S. economy requires.

We commend Meta for its leadership and this important milestone, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration to drive meaningful, durable progress toward a cleaner, more reliable energy future.

QUOTE FROM RICH POWELL, CEO, CEBA

“Meta’s latest commitment — bringing 6.6 GW of reliable and advanced nuclear power to the grid — is one of the largest corporate purchases of clean energy in history and demonstrates the critical role energy buyers are playing in meeting growing electricity demand and supporting economic growth,” said Rich Powell, CEBA CEO.

“This historic announcement builds on the more than 24 GW of clean energy procured by CEBA members last year and demonstrates how CEBA members are investing to meet growing electricity demand now and into the future. These investments support U.S. economic growth and global competitiveness, and we applaud Meta’s leadership and look forward to continuing our collaboration to deliver affordable, carbon emissions-free power that will strengthen grid reliability and accelerate clean energy deployment.”

The Clean Energy Buyers Association is a business trade association that activates a community of energy customers and partners to deploy market and policy solutions for a carbon emissions-free energy system. CEBA’s members represent $38 trillion in market capitalization and include institutional energy customers of every type and size — corporate and industrial companies, universities, and cities. For more information, visit cebuyers.org and follow us on X and LinkedIn. 

Contact:
Susan Buehler
sbuehler@cebuyers.org

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ceba-commends-metas-historic-clean-energy-announcement-302657407.html

SOURCE Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA)

Commemorating One Year Since Onset of the LA Fires, BofA Grant Brings Record-Pace Capital Campaign Closer to Completion

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif., Jan. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In recognition of the one-year anniversary of the Los Angeles wildfires, Bank of America announced a $1 million grant to the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles to help rebuild the Lowe Family YMCA serving the Palisades-Malibu community that was destroyed by the fires. The BofA grant is the first and largest corporate award to date for the YMCA’s $25 million capital campaign that was launched over the summer. The project is expected to break ground this spring, bringing new facilities and additional programs for working families and seniors in the community.

“As we mark the first anniversary of the devastating fires, we also celebrate the incredible progress of the YMCA’s efforts to rebuild its destroyed Via de la Paz site and a nearby campus,” said Raul Anaya, Bank of America president for Greater Los Angeles. “The wildfires destroyed so much – thousands of homes, businesses and communities – but it never destroyed L.A.’s spirit. As a longtime supporter of the YMCA, we’re proud to help bring this space back to life for so many residents, and encourage other donors to help bring this important effort over the finish line.” 

“We are deeply grateful to Bank of America for their generosity and for being our first corporate donor to this campaign,” said Victor Dominguez, President and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles. “Our corporate partners are critical to engaging our full communities in the rebuilding process. As the Center for Community Well-Being with dozens of locations across the L.A. region, we activated on day one of the fires to support our communities. We will continue to help Palisades rebuild not just the buildings, but the community and connections that make it so special.”

The Lowe Family YMCA has served Palisades and Malibu area children, families and seniors for over 60 years. In response to the widespread displacement and trauma caused by the fires, the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles quickly mobilized through nearby centers and partner sites to deliver emergency childcare, case management, and trauma-informed care to thousands of residents.

These efforts continue today, but the long-term recovery of the community depends on restoring a permanent YMCA presence in the area. The YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles has committed to replace the burned site with two new resilient campuses – one on the original Via de la Paz site and one at the nearby Simon Meadow site. The dual campus will expand programming around youth development, mental health services, emergency preparedness and multigenerational engagement.

In recognition of Bank of America’s leading corporate donation, the new Community Room at the Palisades Via De La Paz club will be named for Bank of America.

Having extensive experience supporting clients and communities through various disasters, Bank of America’s expertise, capital and connections continues to support LA’s next chapter. Today’s $1 million grant brings its philanthropic contributions to $4.5 million for fire recovery needs. In addition, BofA recently announced $10 million in zero-interest capital to three CDFIs for ongoing business and housing needs; and a new Rebuild Solution to help qualifying mortgage clients rebuild their homes. The bank will also rebuild its destroyed financial centers in Pacific Palisades and Altadena; and continues providing recovery-related thought leadership and employee volunteerism to local nonprofits.

For more information on Bank of America’s relief efforts, go to BankofAmerica.com/LARebuild. To donate towards the Lowe Family YMCA capital campaign, go to YMCALA.org/give/.

Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving nearly 70 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,600 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 59 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles
As the Center for Community Well-Being the LA Y is committed to building stronger communities by providing equitable programs and services to empower all Angelenos. We are focused on fighting food insecurity, providing equity in education, making sure every child has the opportunity to experience the joy of sports, ensuring kids and teens have a safe place to grow, learn and live a healthy lifestyle. The LA Y’s health and wellness initiatives offer medical and mental health resources to ensure everyone has access to basic health needs. Our mission is to provide services and resources that contribute to the well-being of our community. Visit ymcaLA.org for more information. More on Facebook,or  Instagram.

Reporters may contact

Colleen Haggerty, Bank of America
Phone: 1.213.621.7414
colleen.haggerty@bofa.com

Sarah Angel, YMCA PR
Phone: 1.818.693.0967 
sarah@joancollaborative.com

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SOURCE Bank of America Corporation