Deana Neely, a stay-at-home mom, founded Detroit-based Black-owned company, Detroit Voltage, which provides electrical contracting services for residential, commercial, and government projects. Neely initially hid her Black woman-owned business from the public, but after receiving her first contract, her phone started ringing. The company generated over six figures in revenue within six months and became the go-to electrical contractor in the city. In 2022, Elevate, a national nonprofit based in Chicago, tapped Neely to help shape the Detroit Clean Energy Contractor Accelerator Program, which trains contractors from underrepresented backgrounds to participate in the clean energy economy. Despite the industry’s homogeneity, Neely is inspiring other people of color to enter the skilled trades.
Solar Dominates US Energy Capacity Growth
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has published data showing that solar accounted for over 75% of US electrical generating
