Berkeley-based Potential Energy announces $1.5 million grant from USAID

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.

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