A Tribute to Energy Corps: Emerging as a Beacon of Practical Humanism, Headed by Toby Rice, Scott Tinker and Tisha Schuller

By Stephen Heins, The Word Merchant

A Tribute to Energy Corps: Emerging as a Beacon of Practical Humanism, Headed by Toby Rice, Scott Tinker and Tisha Schuller

By Stephen Heins, The Word Merchant

Energy Corps is emerging as a beacon of practical humanism in the global quest for energy access, a nonprofit founded by Toby Rice—CEO of EQT Corporation, one of the largest natural gas producers in the United States—and Dr. Scott Tinker, the renowned geologist, energy educator, and Chairman of Switch Energy Alliance. Launched publicly in early 2026 following discussions at events like CERAWeek, Energy Corps unites deep energy-sector expertise with a global development perspective to confront one of humanity’s most persistent yet solvable crises: energy poverty.

Today, billions of people worldwide lack access to reliable, affordable modern energy. They cook over open fires that fill homes with toxic smoke, study by dim kerosene lamps, run small businesses without power, and endure hospitals without refrigeration or lighting. This isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a barrier to health, education, economic opportunity, and human dignity.

As Toby Rice has powerfully stated, “Billions of people are still being left behind without access to clean cooking and reliable electricity—and that is one of the greatest sustainability challenges of our time. Energy is opportunity.” Dr. Scott Tinker echoes this, noting that while energy alone won’t end poverty, it is an essential enabler of human flourishing, unlocking progress in ways few other interventions can match.

The vision for Energy Corps emerged from personal conviction and real-world experience. For the Rice family, nearly two decades in the U.S. energy sector demonstrated how reliable energy transforms lives, communities, and economies. That insight gained urgency in 2020 when Aileen Rice delved into the global impacts of energy poverty, inspiring a commitment to action beyond borders. Partnering with Dr. Tinker—whose work through Switch Energy Alliance has educated millions on energy realities and whose travels to over 60 countries have shown the stark divides in energy access—the Rices established Energy Corps as a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the shift from energy poverty to energy prosperity.

Under the leadership of Tisha Schuller as Head of Energy Corps, the organization operates with a focus on execution over rhetoric. Tisha, founder of Adamantine Energy and a respected voice in energy engagement, brings strategic clarity and a no-nonsense approach to scaling solutions. Her own words capture the inspiring dynamic at the organization’s core: “In this capacity, I get to work very closely with Toby and Aileen Rice, who do not shy away from putting their time, talent, and treasure behind the things they care about most. I adore working with them. They are passionate, engaging forces of nature who—if anything—scare me a little bit.” This collaboration, fueled by founding support from Aileen and Toby Rice, Boardwalk Pipeline, RF Catalytic Capital (a Rockefeller Foundation spinoff), Spotlight Energy, the Meredith and Mike Howard Family Foundation, and others, enables Energy Corps to bridge divides between industry, philanthropy, governments, and NGOs.

Energy Corps is guided by two key pillars: the Point, Pledge, Prove framework and the ambitious 50-50-50 moonshot. The framework ensures disciplined progress—Point: Identify locations where energy can unlock transformative opportunity; Pledge: Connect those needs with industry expertise, philanthropy, and capital; Prove: Measure outcomes rigorously to demonstrate impact on human flourishing goals like health, education, economic growth, and quality of life. The 50-50-50 vision sets a bold long-term target: within 50 years (by around 2075), enable every person on Earth to access roughly 50 megawatt-hours of energy per year, supporting $50,000 in global GDP per capita—the average enjoyed in developed nations today. This isn’t utopian dreaming; it’s a measurable north star that drives near-term action through testing, learning, and scaling what works.

Current initiatives illustrate this pragmatic approach. Energy Corps partners with organizations like Innovation: Africa to deliver solar-powered solutions in remote villages, supports women-led enterprises through solar hubs in Burundi, and advances research-based pathways in Kenya toward the 50-50-50 goals. In clean cooking, Energy Corps serves as a founding contributor to the Clean Cooking Accelerator Initiative alongside the Clean Cooking Alliance, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet. By mobilizing private-sector funding, strengthening supply chains, and building investment-ready pipelines, it aims to scale modern cooking solutions across Africa rapidly—delivering immediate gains in health (reducing indoor air pollution deaths), gender equity (freeing women from hours of fuel collection), and economic productivity.

This mission aligns profoundly with principles of energy humanism and “Best of the Above”—an all-of-the-above strategy that rejects ideological silos in favor of abundant, reliable energy tailored to local needs and resources. It means treating developing regions, particularly Africa, as capable partners in their own economic ascent rather than perpetual aid recipients, supporting industrialization, modern communications, and resource development. It demands urgent attention to those disproportionately affected by energy poverty, especially women who endure the health risks of biomass smoke and the physical toll of gathering fuel without electricity.

Energy Corps champions energy sanity: prioritizing abundant supply, unwavering reliability, robust infrastructure, economic development, human health, and capital formation through profitable, responsibly managed systems. In an era where nuclear energy—including small modular reactors (SMRs)—offers immense potential for baseload power, AI-driven innovation, emissions reduction, and scalable deployment in high-demand regions, the organization fosters evidence-based collaboration across the spectrum. It counters the divisiveness of extreme climate alarmism or subsidy-reliant models by emphasizing what truly empowers people: energy systems that enable rather than constrain human potential.

In honoring Energy Corps, we celebrate a unifying force that brings unlikely allies together—fossil fuel leaders like Toby Rice, energy educators like Scott Tinker, strategic operators like Tisha Schuller, philanthropic partners from diverse backgrounds, governments seeking execution partners, and communities yearning for progress—around the shared imperative of ending energy poverty. Their work reminds us that true prosperity begins when every individual has the energy to learn, heal, create, connect, and thrive. Energy Corps isn’t just addressing a crisis; it’s igniting a movement toward energy abundance for all. Here’s to their bold vision, relentless execution, and the brighter, more equitable world they are helping build—one powered community at a time.

May Energy Corps accelerate dramatically, turning the 50-50-50 ambition into reality and proving that human ingenuity, when focused on human needs, can overcome even the deepest divides.