Where There’s Energy, There’s Opportunity

How a Family’s Journey Became a Global Mission

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The Energy Corps story begins with a simple truth learned at kitchen tables across rural Pennsylvania: Energy is opportunity.

In the early 2000s, Aileen and Toby Rice were newly married and building Pittsburgh-based Rice Energy from the ground up. The work was gritty, hands-on, and full of long days.


They were driven forward by a blend of ambition, and purpose: What kept them going wasn’t just ambition, but purpose.

“We sat in the homes and kitchens of farmers who were about to lose their land,” Aileen recalls. “Economics were crushing small farms. Then, energy came into their lives. Whether it was oil or natural gas, everything shifted. Their farms survived, their kids went to college.

That taught me—energy is hope.”

“We sat in the homes and kitchens of farmers who were about to lose their land,” Aileen recalls. “Economics were crushing small farms. Then, energy came into their lives. Whether it was oil or natural gas, everything shifted. Their farms survived, their kids went to college.

That taught me—energy is hope.”

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A Moment of Conviction

A Moment of Conviction

A Moment of Conviction

Rice Energy grew at a brisk pace, up to its sale in 2018. Then, COVID swept the globe. Those tumultuous months, ironically, provided the Rice family with time to reflect. Aileen—at home with their newborn daughter—came across a startling truth: More than 3 million people die each year from indoor air pollution caused by cooking with wood or charcoal.

Rice Energy grew at a brisk pace, up to its sale in 2018. Then, COVID swept the globe. Those tumultuous months, ironically, provided the Rice family with time to reflect. Aileen—at home with their newborn daughter—came across a startling truth: More than 3 million people die each year from indoor air pollution caused by cooking with wood or charcoal.

Rice Energy grew at a brisk pace, up to its sale in 2018. Then, COVID swept the globe. Those tumultuous months, ironically, provided the Rice family with time to reflect. Aileen—at home with their newborn daughter—came across a startling truth: More than 3 million people die each year from indoor air pollution caused by cooking with wood or charcoal.

“It’s the same number of people who died per year from COVID at its peak, and nobody talks about it,” she said. “As a mother, that broke me. Imagine cooking for your family knowing the smoke could kill them.”

“It’s the same number of people who died per year from COVID at its peak, and nobody talks about it,” she said. “As a mother, that broke me. Imagine cooking for your family knowing the smoke could kill them.”

Building Energy Corps

Building Energy Corps

Building Energy Corps

In 2023, Aileen and Toby began forming Energy Corps, a nonprofit dedicated to moving communities from energy poverty to energy prosperity.

Partnering with Dr. Scott Tinker of Switch Energy Alliance, the organization built its foundation on collaboration, data, and the belief in the power of human dignity.


The mission is anchored in a bold idea—the 50-50-50 goal: delivering 50 megawatt-hours per person, enabling $50,000 in global GDP per capita, within 50 years.


Energy Corps works across technologies—solar, nuclear, natural gas, hydro, and beyond—partnering with local leaders, foundations, and NGOs to bring scalable, reliable energy where it’s needed most.

In 2023, Aileen and Toby began forming Energy Corps, a nonprofit dedicated to moving communities from energy poverty to energy prosperity.

Partnering with Dr. Scott Tinker of Switch Energy Alliance, the organization built its foundation on collaboration, data, and the belief in the power of human dignity.


The mission is anchored in a bold idea—the 50-50-50 goal: delivering 50 megawatt-hours per person, enabling $50,000 in global GDP per capita, within 50 years.


Energy Corps works across technologies—solar, nuclear, natural gas, hydro, and beyond—partnering with local leaders, foundations, and NGOs to bring scalable, reliable energy where it’s needed most.

In 2023, Aileen and Toby began forming Energy Corps, a nonprofit dedicated to moving communities from energy poverty to energy prosperity.

Partnering with Dr. Scott Tinker of Switch Energy Alliance, the organization built its foundation on collaboration, data, and the belief in the power of human dignity.


The mission is anchored in a bold idea—the 50-50-50 goal: delivering 50 megawatt-hours per person, enabling $50,000 in global GDP per capita, within 50 years.


Energy Corps works across technologies—solar, nuclear, natural gas, hydro, and beyond—partnering with local leaders, foundations, and NGOs to bring scalable, reliable energy where it’s needed most.

The Corps Values

The Corps Values

The Corps Values

At its core, Energy Corps is an expression of the Rice family’s four guiding values—which can be found carved in a tree in their back yard: heart, hustle, integrity, and health. Aileen elaborates:

“Heart means helping people. Hustle means doing the work. Integrity means doing it right. Health means caring for one another, and for the planet.”


For the Rices, this work isn’t about industry. It’s about humanity.

At its core, Energy Corps is an expression of the Rice family’s four guiding values—which can be found carved in a tree in their back yard: heart, hustle, integrity, and health. Aileen elaborates:

“Heart means helping people. Hustle means doing the work. Integrity means doing it right. Health means caring for one another, and for the planet.”


For the Rices, this work isn’t about industry. It’s about humanity.

At its core, Energy Corps is an expression of the Rice family’s four guiding values—which can be found carved in a tree in their back yard: heart, hustle, integrity, and health. Aileen elaborates:

“Heart means helping people. Hustle means doing the work. Integrity means doing it right. Health means caring for one another, and for the planet.”


For the Rices, this work isn’t about industry. It’s about humanity.

“We started Energy Corps because no parent should have to wonder if cooking dinner might harm their child,” Aileen says. “This is about connection before complexity—helping people see that energy isn’t just power. It’s possibility.”

“We started Energy Corps because no parent should have to wonder if cooking dinner might harm their child,” Aileen says. “This is about connection before complexity—helping people see that energy isn’t just power. It’s possibility.”