Business View Magazine | June 2022

29 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 6 COOPERAT I VE ENERGY FUTURES Greenpenny is a virtual and carbon- neutral bank on a mission to finance a sustainable tomorrow. Its parent company, northeast Iowa’s Decorah Bank & Trust Co., is family and employee-owned and has a decades-long commitment to positive environmental practices. Greenpenny was launched in mid-2020 to enable big change by inspiring the use of clean energy. Money deposited in greenpenny is secure, earns interest, and is only used to finance renewable energy systems or carbon-reducing projects, starting with solar. Customers access easy-to-use, hi-tech online and mobile banking platforms, yet greenpenny bankers are just a phone call or chat away for extra care. And no ATM fees worldwide – ever! Deposit services are FDIC-insured and available for people and businesses across the nation. In addition to solar financing and deposit services, the bank offers loans for geothermal and battery storage systems and GreenCHOICE Mortgages® for energy- efficient home improvements. As part of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values and a member of 1% for the Planet®, greenpenny understands working together can be a powerful source in solving the world’s climate problem. They deliver by developing real financial solutions that make economic sense and protect Mother Earth. ...... Learn more at greenpenny.com of solar, while others just don’t believe solar is for them.” CEF is overcoming these challenges through engagement with stakeholders at every process level, including conducting outreach programs with partners like Community Power and Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light, both energy justice-focused nonprofits, to onboard more community members. CEF currently has nine employees and a little over 1,000 members, comprising individuals and households in affordable housing, manufactured housing, rural, and rental communities. “All our projects are developed to fit each community and meet its energy needs,” shares DenHerder-Thomas. “We’ve done some projects in partnership with local governments and communities of worship, providing hyperlocal options right in community backyards that members can subscribe to if eligible.”