Will support ecovoltaics research in Colorado for CSU's Dryland Ecology and Management Lab, the first comprehensive drylands ecosystem research on Southwest desert solar projects

DENVER, Aug. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With the goal of promoting healthy plant and soil ecosystems through sustained solar energy production, Colorado State University (CSU) announced today that Pivot Energy, a leading renewable energy independent power producer, has contributed $60,000 to CSU's Dryland Ecology and Management Lab. The funding will support the first-of-its-kind, comprehensive research on dryland ecosystems with solar projects in the Desert Southwest.

The lab serves as a central climate research hub within CSU's Warner College of Natural Resources where ecologists explore solutions for making dryland ecosystems more resilient to global change.

Through Pivot Energy's generous donation, CSU will be able to advance its dryland research and explore new ecovoltaic synergies between solar development and dryland restoration. The research supports the key pillar of habitat enhancement work that Pivot deploys on solar project sites as one of its three agrivoltaics configurations.

Pivot's philanthropic investment will also enable valuable student training in dryland restoration and ecovoltaics research and grant application preparation and submittals to support students' ongoing workforce development and skills for sustaining long-term research work.

"We are excited to work with Pivot Energy and to embark on a variety of exciting new research opportunities at the nexus of sustainable energy production and restoration ecology," said Carrie Havrilla, assistant professor in the Department of Forest & Rangeland Stewardship and director of CSU's Dryland Ecology and Management Lab. "Pivot's generous support, coupled with its belief and investment in the CSU Dryland Ecology and Management Lab, demonstrates the high value the organization places on creating measurable positive impacts on people, communities, and the planet and its effort toward working in collaboration to battle climate change."

"Pivot Energy is thrilled to collaborate with CSU by utilizing its expertise to research and develop emerging climate solutions, and be part of this new, innovative research," said Angie Burke, Director of Operations, Pivot Energy. "We donated this grant to support integral dryland ecosystem research efforts, benefitting Pivot's agrivoltaics program, which is comprised of livestock grazing, habitat enhancement, and crop production, the key pillars of the program."

The research will take place on three Pivot solar project sites in Mesa County, Colorado, with fieldwork expected to begin in Fall 2025 and continue through 2027. Pivot has more than 16 years of experience accelerating the clean energy transition and helping companies and communities achieve impactful decarbonization.

For more information on CSU's Dryland Ecology and Management Lab and to learn how giving makes a difference in CSU's research, visit https://warnercnr.colostate.edu/.

About Pivot Energy
Pivot Energy is a renewable energy provider and independent power producer that develops, finances, builds, owns, and manages solar and energy storage projects. Pivot leverages its renewable expertise to provide a range of unique offerings that accelerate the clean energy transition by helping companies and communities attain impactful decarbonization. Pivot is a U.S.-based Certified B-Corporation that proudly follows a corporate strategy aimed at providing a positive impact on society as measured by Environmental stewardship, Social leadership, and responsible Governance factors. Pivot Energy is an ECP portfolio company. Learn more at pivotenergy.net.

About Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university that serves more than 33,000 students. Founded in 1870 as Colorado's land-grant institution, CSU ensures that students with the talent and desire for a college degree have access to world-class faculty, research and academic excellence. CSU has leading programs in veterinary medicine, occupational therapy, and atmospheric sciences, and excels in areas ranging from infectious disease to clean energy to business. CSU is rooted in the Fort Collins community, has a presence in every county in Colorado, and its academic excellence and innovation impacts the nation and the world.

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SOURCE Pivot Energy