Berkeley-based Potential Energy announces $1.5 million grant from United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

BERKELEY, Calif., May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Berkeley-based nonprofit Potential Energy (formerly the Darfur Stoves Project), is proud to announce it has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) Development Innovation Ventures (DIV). This grant, which will fund the distribution of clean cookstoves in Darfur and Ethiopia, comes on the heels of the organization's recent name change to Potential Energy and reflects the move to expand its activities beyond Darfur.

Founded in 2007, Potential Energy (http://www.potentialenergy.org) works with local enterprises in poverty-stricken countries to manufacture and distribute household technologies, such as clean cookstoves, that solve critical life challenges. In partnership with humanitarian organizations such as Oxfam America, Potential Energy has already distributed more than 20,000 stoves in Darfur. The stoves decrease women's exposure to violence while collecting firewood, as well as their need to trade food rations for fuel. In the past year, the organization has doubled the impact of its efforts – almost half of all stoves distributed in Darfur were distributed in 2011 alone, with another 15,000 planned for 2012.

In the long term, Potential Energy plans to develop a portfolio of clean technologies for the world's poorest people using the same user-centered design and partnership approach that has led to the enormous success of its Darfur Stoves Project.

The $1.5 million, three-year grant from USAID's Development Innovation Ventures (http://idea.usaid.gov/organization/div) supports Potential Energy's transition to a more sustainable social enterprise approach through innovative marketing and distribution channels and capacity building for local organizations. Potential Energy plans to collaborate with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Institute for Globally Transformative Technologies for research and development, and will engage an independent group to assess the project's impact and relative effectiveness of different marketing strategies.

For more information, please contact Andree Sosler at [email protected] or at (510) 848-8486. You can also learn more on the organization's newly launched website: www.potentialenergy.org.

Founded in 2007, Potential Energy is a nonprofit organization that adapts and scales technologies to improve lives in developing countries. Building on the success of its flagship initiative, the Darfur Stoves Project, which has disseminated more than 20,000 clean cookstoves to date, the organization seeks to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women and protect the environment.   

SOURCE Potential Energy