The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Apex Clean Energy have announced a partnership in support of local conservation projects in communities where the renewable energy company's utility-scale projects are located.

As part of the public-private partnership, for each new wind and solar project that Apex commercializes, the company will contribute $1,000 per megawatt to NFWF, which in turn will match the funds at a level of at least one-to-one and prioritize using the funding for conservation projects near the renewable energy facilities. In addition to habitat improvement for fish and wildlife, the partnership will bolster efforts to assist local economies in job creation, generate recreational and community engagement opportunities, provide cleaner drinking water, and support carbon sequestration.

"We welcome Apex as our newest corporate partner, and we are excited about the potential of this unique partnership," said NFWF executive director and CEO Jeff Trandahl. "Over time, we expect that the scale and flexibility of the projects funded through this effort will help a huge variety of habitats and native species across the country, while at the same time providing direct benefits to the local communities where Apex is building renewable energy projects."