Revolutionary Power

1. Energy justice is the new frontier of civil rights

The struggle for energy justice, for revolutionary power, is about nothing less than freedom.

Energy connects to every aspect of life. The energy system defines nearly every aspect of socioeconomics and health. It determines who has access to affordable electricity, clean air, and economic opportunities. The transition away from fossil fuels offers a unique opportunity to upend existing socioeconomic inequality and foster lasting structural change.

Energy policy should be the domain of civil rights. By situating renewable energy policy within a broader civil rights discourse, we can address longstanding inequalities and access to justice. This framing connects energy issues to movements for civil rights, Indigenous rights, economic justice, and health justice.

A just energy system is a civil right. Communities of color, poor people, and Indigenous people must serve as the architects of the new energy system to upend the embedded and unequal power dynamics that are a direct outgrowth of the current system. This power revolution calls for the absolute transformation of fundamental aspects of the energy system:

• Renewable energy policy
• Financial institutions funding energy projects
• The utility sector itself

2. The fossil fuel-based energy system perpetuates racial and economic inequality

The energy system routinely sacrifices Brown, Black, and Indigenous bodies to keep the lights on for the majority.

Environmental racism is embedded in the energy system. Communities of color disproportionately bear the burdens of fossil fuel extraction, production, and waste. This leads to higher rates of pollution, health problems, and economic disadvantage in these communities.

Energy burden falls heaviest on the poor. Low-income households often pay a much higher percentage of their income for energy costs compared to wealthier households. This perpetuates a cycle of poverty and limits economic mobility.

The centralized energy model concentrates power and wealth. The current system, dominated by large investor-owned utilities, consolidates economic and political power in the hands of a few companies. This structure makes it difficult for marginalized communities to have a say in energy decisions that affect their lives.

3. Utility reform is crucial for transforming the energy landscape

Investor-owned utilities are deeply problematic. They threaten progress on both the clean energy and equity fronts.

The investor-owned utility model is outdated. It incentivizes selling more electricity and building unnecessary infrastructure, rather than promoting energy efficiency and distributed clean energy. This model often works against the interests of consumers and the environment.

Alternative utility structures offer promise:

• Public power providers
• Electric cooperatives
• Community choice aggregation

Concrete strategies for utility reform:

• Convert investor-owned utilities to public power entities
• Implement performance-based regulation that aligns utility incentives with public interest
• Transform utilities into distributed system operators that prioritize clean, local energy
• Increase opportunities for community choice aggregation

4. Climate change fundamentalism hinders equitable clean energy transitions

Climate change fundamentalism is the narrow focus on advancing climate and clean energy policy while failing to account for justice concerns or, more insidiously, deliberately delaying justice considerations.

Equity must be central to climate policy. Many climate advocates argue that we lack time to integrate justice concerns into efforts to avert catastrophic climate change. This approach perpetuates existing inequalities and misses opportunities for transformative change.

Big Green organizations must prioritize equity. Well-resourced environmental organizations often fail to advocate for equity-centered policy approaches in critical proceedings. They must develop complex environmental analyses that account for the historic burdens faced by communities of color.

Model legislation: New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).
Key features:

• Explicit recognition of equity and justice concerns
• Meaningful pathways for community participation
• Distribution of economic benefits to marginalized communities
• Targets 40% of clean energy benefits to disadvantaged communities

5. Rooftop solar access is a battleground for energy democracy

We have to fight for distributed energy.

Rooftop solar democratizes the energy system. It allows individuals and communities to generate their own power, reducing reliance on centralized utilities and fossil fuels. This distributed model increases resilience to climate impacts and can provide economic benefits to participants.

Utilities and fossil fuel interests are fighting to limit rooftop solar. They deploy misleading arguments about cost-shifting and grid stability to undermine policies that support distributed solar. These tactics disproportionately harm low-income communities and communities of color.

Strategies to advance equity in rooftop solar:

• Prioritize solar adoption in environmental justice communities
• Increase the overall value assigned to solar energy
• Provide financial and legal support for community intervention in regulatory proceedings

6. Community energy projects must prioritize local ownership and control

Community energy holds promise as a policy tool and a mechanism to lift folks out of poverty and reduce energy burden.

True community energy empowers local control. It should allow communities to own, manage, and benefit from local clean energy resources. Many existing "community solar" programs fail to deliver on this promise.

Key principles for equitable community energy:

• Local siting and community-scale development
• Community ownership and control
• Meaningful economic benefits for participants
• Prioritization of low-to-moderate income households

Policy design is critical. Many existing community energy policies replicate inequalities by favoring large developers over true community ownership. Advocates must fight for policies that center community needs and provide pathways for local wealth creation.

7. Innovative financing is key to ending "solar segregation"

We need explicitly antiracist financial instruments that aim to undo the troubling legacy of policies like redlining and the discourse of creditworthiness that succeeded it.

Traditional financing perpetuates inequality. Existing tax incentives and credit requirements for solar projects favor wealthy individuals and large corporations. This creates structural barriers to clean energy access for low-income communities and communities of color.

New approaches to finance are needed:

• Green banks with explicit equity mandates
• On-bill financing for distributed energy resources
• Alternative measures of creditworthiness beyond traditional credit scores
• Energy burden caps based on household income

Policy recommendations:

• Compensate communities for historical environmental burdens through energy bill reductions
• Create reinvestment zones that require community ownership in clean energy projects
• Facilitate on-bill financing programs for rooftop solar and energy efficiency upgrades

8. A just energy transition requires centering marginalized communities

Revolutionary power requires pushing against the narrative that we must save the planet first before saving the most vulnerable residents on it. We can and must do both, even when it is slow and even when it is frustrating.

Frontline communities must lead the transition. Those most impacted by the fossil fuel system should be at the forefront of designing the new clean energy system. This ensures that the transition addresses historical injustices and creates meaningful economic opportunities.

Equity should be baked into clean energy policies from the start. Rather than treating justice as an afterthought, equity considerations should shape the fundamental design of energy transition policies and programs.

Key areas for intervention:

• Utility reform
• Ambitious climate and clean energy targets
• Rooftop solar policies
• Community energy programs
• Access to clean energy financing

9. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed energy system vulnerabilities

The virus forced a reckoning with our unequal livelihoods and unjust mortalities. It changed us.

The pandemic revealed deep energy inequities. Low-income communities and communities of color faced higher energy burdens and greater health risks due to their proximity to polluting energy infrastructure.

Energy is a critical lifeline during crises. The pandemic highlighted the essential nature of reliable, affordable electricity for health, education, and economic stability.

The crisis creates an opportunity for transformation. As we rebuild from the pandemic, we have a chance to create a more just and resilient energy system that prioritizes the needs of the most vulnerable.

10. Revolutionary power demands courage and a radical reimagining of energy

Revolutionary power is, at its core, about love. It is about a love that looks forward—toward future generations, children unnamed, and possibilities unfurling—and a love that looks back—to ancestors hoping, believing, and praying that you might come into existence.

Transforming the energy system is an act of love. It requires courage to challenge entrenched power structures and imagine a radically different future.

Key principles of revolutionary power:

• Centering marginalized voices in energy decision-making
• Dismantling structural racism and oppression through energy policy
• Creating pathways for community ownership and control of energy resources
• Prioritizing resilience and local benefits in system design

The time for action is now. As the energy system undergoes a massive transition driven by climate change and technological innovation, we have a unique opportunity to reshape it in service of justice and equity. This requires sustained advocacy, coalition-building, and a willingness to dream big.

Last updated: October 7, 2024