Reactivate and The Obama Foundation Partner on Community Solar to Lower Energy Costs for Local Communities in Illinois

CHICAGO, Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Reactivate, a mission-driven renewable energy developer, and The Obama Foundation today announced a new multi-year partnership under which the Foundation will serve as the "anchor tenant" for community solar projects developed, owned, and operated by Reactivate. This partnership unlocks the financial viability of the solar portfolios, directly enabling low-to-moderate income (LMI) households and local small businesses in Illinois to subscribe to the remaining capacity and realize up to 50% energy cost savings on their utility bills through the Illinois Solar For All program or other regional community solar programs.

As an anchor tenant to solar assets, The Obama Foundation secures predictable, lower-cost clean energy to support its sustainability goals and offsets energy costs generated by the Obama Presidential Center. With rising electricity costs across the country, this provides a scalable blueprint for how commercial, industrial, and non-profit organizations can meet ambitious carbon reduction goals while providing economic equity for communities.

"By stepping forward as an anchor tenant, The Obama Foundation helps power the Presidential Center with clean energy while actively lowering the barrier to entry for local families and small businesses to cut their energy costs," said Utopia Hill, CEO of Reactivate. "Building a stronger energy future requires leadership and collaboration that prioritizes community wealth creation, while strengthening local resiliency and advancing energy affordability for the communities that need it most."

"President Obama set a clear vision: to make sustainability a centerpiece of all we do, and to serve as a model for what is possible," said Valerie Jarrett, CEO of The Obama Foundation. "We believe that taking care of the one planet we have starts with the choices we make right in our own backyard. That is why the Obama Presidential Center not only is sourcing 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy, but we are also partnering with a company that will expand access to solar energy to our neighbors." 

Community solar allows subscribing customers to realize the financial benefits of clean energy without requiring property ownership or the upfront capital costs associated with traditional rooftop solar installations. For renters, working-class households, and local small businesses, community solar represents one of the few zero-upfront-cost mechanisms available to combat volatile energy pricing while supporting regional grid decarbonization.

"It is an honor to partner with an organization like The Obama Foundation whose commitment to strengthening communities closely aligns with our own," said Tuba Avcisert, SVP of Origination and Contracting at Reactivate. "Their trust in Reactivate to serve the Obama Center's energy needs reflect a shared belief that clean energy projects should create lasting, meaningful benefits for the local communities they serve.

About Reactivate

Reactivate is a mission-driven organization that develops, owns, and operates renewable energy solutions that are designed to improve quality of life for communities, with a focus on meaningful benefits for working-class people across the country. Focus areas include community solar, small utility-scale solar, energy storage and EV charging projects. 

By delivering economic development and energy resiliency with renewable energy solutions, Reactivate provides energy cost savings, job opportunities, workforce training and opportunities for businesses, while creating positive social and environmental impact.

About The Obama Foundation

The Obama Foundation is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world. That mission begins on the South Side of Chicago, where the Foundation is building the Obama Presidential Center. But that approach extends to all our work, whether it's holding leadership training sessions in communities throughout the U.S., bringing local leaders together in countries around the world, working to support the global education of girls, or ensuring young men of color have pathways to opportunity. From every corner of the globe, our program participants are working together to address some of the biggest challenges of our time—from renewing our democratic institutions, protecting LGBTQ+ rights, fighting climate change, and so much more.

SOURCE Reactivate