Ecology Action grows from recycling lot to statewide power player

What started four decades ago as a small drop-off recycling center has grown into a statewide powerhouse for energy conservation with millions of dollars in revenue. Largely through an expanding clean-energy partnership with PG&E, the homegrown environmental nonprofit Ecology Action has seen revenues jump from $4.1 million in 2004 to $13.2 million in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, the latest available. The group has swelled from a handful of volunteers to 64 employees, with offices in Santa Cruz and Mountain View and more workers operating out of their homes or on sites from the Oregon border to Bakersfield.