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Our campaign director, Alysha Shaw and YUCCA’s Policy Lead and Public Power NM Steering Committee member, Ennedith Lopez attended the Energy Democracy Project’s Strategic Convening in Boston, MA November 9-12. The gathering brought together diverse frontline activists from around the nation, who are doing local, national, and international work to advance energy democracy.
What is energy democracy?
The Energy Democracy Project defines it as such: “Energy democracy is a process by which we advance frontline community empowerment and liberation. It is a framework that allows us to reimagine the ways we organize our lives and livelihoods toward new systems that support the health and wellbeing of our communities and ecosystems.”By expanding community participation and ownership in the renewable energy transition and the energy sector, energy policy and decision-making will better incorporate local knowledge and the environmental justice concerns of local communities.
By establishing community-owned renewable utilities and projects, we will create local wealth and local jobs, lower our electricity bills, and invest in our communities. We will direct our energy future, one that is accountable to our communities and not driven by profits that are exported to Wall Street. We will accelerate an equitable energy transition driven by our communities.
Public Power New Mexico is excited to be a part of the Energy Democracy Project and the movement for energy democracy. We hope to bring a future convening to New Mexico so that we can connect local communities to this inspiring work and vision, as we build it and work for the systems changes we need.
In the meantime, please check out the Energy Democracy Projects’s Reimagined Energy For Our Communities, U.S. (REFOCUS) campaign. This is a nationwide effort created out of their collaborative efforts over the years to strategically build a movement to advance energy democracy! Greedy power companies have failed communities by making climate change and injustice worse; it’s time to decentralize their control and put power back in the hands of our communities!
Here are helpful resources collaboratively created as part of the REFOCUS campaign to help organizers and advocates like you:
REFOCUS zine - available in English, Haitian Creole, and Spanish
REFOCUS facilitation guide - for use with the REFOCUS zine; a guide for hosting conversations with your community, team, or external audience about energy democracy
REFOCUS messaging - an easy-to-use guide informed by the race-class narrative to talk about energy democracy and our work in a way that is inclusive, accessible, and exciting!
REFOCUS website - interactive web pages showcasing stories from collaborators across the country