GRID Alternatives Closing Salinas Office

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) Grid Alternatives, a local non-profit which helps low income single family homes in our area is closing it's office doors in Salinas due to a lack of funding.

Grid Alternatives has been a presence in California for a while, but opened their Salinas office in 2015 -- helping nearly 1,200 income qualified families get solar power for their homes.

"Its in our best interest to consolidate our California presence so that means winding down our presence here with a physical office here in the central coast," says Justin Hitchcock, GRID's Executive Director.

Grid Alternatives has also been a resource for some youth and young adults in the area who may be interested in the industry.

"Rancho Cielo has been one of our greatest partners over the year they train youth to give them jobs kills and they bring us  into the fold because we're solar," says Hitchcock.

Although, that partnership isn't completely finished as those are still opportunities they would like to continue moving forward.

Now that the Salinas location is closing it's doors about 15 people will no longer be employed by grid. Others will move to where demand and resources are available.

"There's some of our staff that's going to be shifting to headquarter roles or moving to other regions to fill roles there," Hitchcock says.

The timing isn't the best for central coast residents as California's Building Standards Commission has given final approval to a housing rule requiring new homes to have solar panel features.

That rule is set to go into effect in 2020.