Free Solo’s Alex Honnold Is an Unexpected Solar Power Champion
Time · LC · trust 38/100
Most people probably know Alex Honnold from the 2018 documentary Free Solo , which captured his historic climb on Yosemite's El Capitan without a rope or protective harness. Over his nearly two-decade rock climbing career, he has free-summited landmarks around the world, most recently a 101-story skyscraper in Taiwan. But fewer people likely know about Honnold’s other great passion: solar power. He started the Honnold Foundation in 2012 with the goal of giving away one-third of his income to community solar projects. In the years since, HF has grown into a 501(c)(3) with an executive director, full-time staff, and over $11 million committed to 75 solar projects in 2026 alone. Today, Honnold funds the operational costs, so outside donations can largely go to projects in need.
The idea sprouted from Honnold’s desire to offset his own travel emissions. But he knew that in order to gain traction and funding, his sustainability efforts would need wider impact. “Nobody cares about the environment unless their basic needs are met," he says. "So if you're trying to protect the environment in a broad sense without protecting or improving the lives of human populations, you're facing an uphill battle."
Today, at least 600 million people live without access to electricity. Solar power could hugely improve their lives, with the added benefit of reducing the global reliance on fossil fuels. HF focuses on solar projects that sit at the intersection of climate, equity, and human impact, with grant recipients typically receiving between $50,000 and $150,000. More than 1,200 organizations applied in 2026—a far cry from Honnold's early days of researching and funding projects on his own. Recent recipients include the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, which will install solar lighting and power to protect against illegal fishing and mangrove destruction; Integrated Health Outreach in Antigua and Barbuda, which will power a female-led beekeeping and honey-processing facility; and the Hopi Utilities Corporation in Arizona, which will install solar panels and battery storage on tribal land to power groundwater pumps.
One oft-cited recipient of an HF grant is Kara Solar , which provides solar-powered boats to the Achuar people in Ecuador and Peru. The partnership, which began in 2020, has helped facilitate commerce, health care, and education in the region, while also reducing reliance on gasoline. Kara Solar recently received a large grant from a global foundation, which built on earlier success: In 2024, thanks in part to HF’s support, it created a for-profit manufacturing company to produce electric motors for its boats.
"That's the ultimate success for a project if it takes off beyond the philanthropic money," Honnold says. "And then the real success will be in 20 years if everyone's riding an electric boat."
Honnold believes the transition away from fossil fuels is inevitable. And while the foundation doesn't fund policy work, he says some projects have exposed the need for solar incentives in states with policies that limited rooftop solar. "I personally like funding projects in states that are really regressive, anti-solar states," he says. "Because it's like a big middle finger to the man. I think there's a little of the anti-authority, rock climbing streak.”
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