What is Energy Justice?
From the Initiative for Energy Justice:
Energy justice refers to the goal of achieving equity in both the social and economic participation in the energy system, while also remediating social, economic, and health burdens on those disproportionately harmed by the energy system.
Energy justice explicitly centers the concerns of communities at the frontline of pollution and climate change (“frontline communities”), working class people, indigenous communities, and those historically disenfranchised by racial and social inequity. Energy justice aims to make energy accessible, affordable, clean, and democratically managed for all communities.
Explore The Energy Justice Workbook by the Initiative for Energy Justice to learn more about what energy justice means and how to put it into practice.
What is Energy Democracy?
Energy Democracy is a framework that is grounded in the solutions of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities to invest in a regenerative economy that sustains our people and our planet.
Energy Democracy represents a shift from the corporate, centralized fossil fuel economy to one that is governed by communities, is designed on the principle of no harm to the environment, supports local economies, and contributes to the health and well-being for all peoples.
Read the Ten Principles for Energy Democracy by Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy and the Climate Justice Alliance Energy Democracy Working Group.
More Resources for Energy Justice & Democracy
- The Just Energy Policies and Practices Action Toolkit by the NAACP’s Environmental & Climate Justice Program features 8 modules of practical, user-friendly guidance on how communities can phase out toxic energy like coal, nuclear, and oil facilities and bring in clean energy like wind and solar.
- Explore The Energy Justice Workbook by the Initiative for Energy Justice to learn more about what energy justice means and how to put it into practice.
- Comprehensive Building Blocks for a Regenerative and Just 100% Policy by a collective effort from 100% Network members who are leading experts from and accountable to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and frontline communities. This groundbreaking report lays out the components of an ideal 100% policy that centers equity and justice.
- The Energy Democracy Scorecard by Emerald Cities Collaborative provides tools to drive ideas into community action and policy changes.
- Energy Democracy: Honoring the Past and Investing in a New Energy Democracy by Race Forward elevates the work of community partners and provides recommendations for how philanthropic partners can invest in local solutions that not only support communities in these regions, but also have ripple effects across the nation.
- The Energy Democracy Map, a Project of the Center for Social Inclusion, maps communities across America that are innovating how to build their local economies through renewable energy.
- Explore more resources at Solar United Neighbors.
