Business View Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 10

117 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 10 IMPACT POWER SOLUT IONS ( I PS) 170MW of solar energy across the state and adjacent states. Although most of their projects are within the state, the company has recently started branching out nationally to places like Illinois, Virginia, and New Mexico. Having a solid core internal team has helped the company sustain its growth over the years. “We are fortunate to be in an industry that pays its workers well based on national averages,” says Pasi. “A recent study by Clean Energy Economy Minnesota (CEEM) found that clean energy workers earn $75,000 in Minnesota, 30 percent higher than the national median average.” Such higher-than-average wages combined with an essential industry status are factors that helped the company weather the worst economic effects of the pandemic from late 2019 through to early 2021. Supporting the internal team is a cohort of external subcontractors and partners like CED Green Tech and New Energy Equity. To date, IPS has completed over 1500 installations, at one point (2016-2017), seeing its revenues jump 1000% in one year. Still, the stories it likes to share are those of equity projects that exemplify its commitment to people, power, and the planet. One such project is the Red Lake Solar Project. Red Lake, Minnesota, is home to the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians (Red Lake Nation) with over 14,000 tribal members and is one of the country’s most unique and isolated reservations. IPS partnered with Solar Bear, a solar installation company owned by one of the tribal members, to create a tribal utility and secure energy sovereignty for the tribe. Speaking on the sidelines of the project, this is what IPS founder Jacobsen had to say: “Everyone IPS has ever sold solar to has asked about the financial payback,” he said. “But, right from the beginning of my involvement in Red Lake, payback was in terms of, are we going to be able to prevent the buildup of mercury in Red Lake so that people can continue eating the fish because that’s the livelihood of many people in the community.” IPS has committed to two other projects: the Sol Star Project and a tree-planting project in partnership with the American Forest Association. “With the Sol Star Project, we’ve partnered with MN Renewable Now to bring community solar to black communities in Minnesota without requiring any upfront payment,” shares Pasi. “The AFA project is a commitment to plant one tree for every kilowatt