Including Underrepresented Communities in the Energy Transition

Join our panel of experts, April 2nd at 11:00am Pacific Time, for an insightful conversation on including underrepresented communities in the clean energy transition. During this hour-long webinar, we will discuss the panelists’ personal experience and contributions to the field, as well as key examples of renewable energy projects with meaningful community impact. Panelists will highlight essential necessary steps in engaging communities through impactful renewable energy projects, and the challenges associated with securing funding and reporting on successful projects. Discover tangible ways your stakeholder group can contribute to fostering a more just and equitable energy sector.

REM Next: A series of extended conversations from the annual Renewable Energy Markets™ conference produced by CRS.

SPEAKERS

Jenny Carney, Senior Vice President, Sustainability, Energy and Climate Change, WSP
Micah Elan, Sr. Specialist, Partnerships & Community, CRS
Evan Ramsey, Sr. Director, Renewables Program, Bonneville Environmental Foundation
Dana Clare Redden, Founder & CEO, Solar Stewards
Laura Zapata, CEO & Co-Founder, Clearloop

Transcript

2. Solar Stewards creates opportunities for sustainable change in renewable markets through facilitating the partnership between private-sector leaders and local community-serving organizations. The mission of Solar Stewards is to help foster equitable energy transition within the energy sector through climate action and restorative justice. A Social Enterprise Based in Atlanta, GA
3. Unpacking Equality, Equity, and Energy Justice DEI in 2024 www.solarstewards.net/maps
4. The Relationship of Voluntary REC Markets to Equity
5. 199 3 Through Solar Stewards Program, our Climate Stewards, or renewable energy buyers, have the distinct opportunity to source renewable energy credits (RECs) from organizations and projects that directly benefit historically excluded communities, and those on the front lines of climate change. CLIMATE STEWARDS TRIPLE THE IMPACT • Registered, purchased, and retired like traditional RECs • Visible branding, community relations, and marketing value • Meets multiple Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Environmental Social Governance (ESG), and Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) goals • Speaks to multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals • Economic and environmental impact of clean, affordable solar power lasts for generations • Exclusively available in the Solar Stewards Marketplace Social RECs® Renewable Energy Credits with Social Impact 100% of Social REC revenue is dedicated to our Community Partners
6. Community Benefit Agreements JOIN US! • Green banks • Workforce development providers • Distributed generation solar developers • Minority businesses • Women owned businesses • Educators • Affordable housing developers • Non-profits, NGOs and Social enterprise Solar Stewards connects organizations fostering equity in their local communities and those involved in the deployment of renewable energy to capture community-led impact initiatives. These community determined social impact initiatives are then used to craft a Community Benefit Agreement. Solar Stewards administers this CBA process.
7. Our Climate Steward T-Mobile has partnered to support three public school districts in Indiana. The revenue generated from the sale of Social RECs® support the following community determined social impact goals: • Fund and revive school STEAM programs • Purchase classroom supplies and equipment for Computer Science classes • Enhance and upgrade robotics programs • Mental health counselors Social REC® Spotlight Providing Resources for Indiana School Districts
8. Renewables Overview April 2024 Evan Ramsey, Sr. Director, Renewables
9. Renewables Program UTILITIES CONSULTING & PROJECT DEVELOPMENT ELECTRIC VEHICLES PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT TRIBAL ENERGY PROJECT DEVELOPMENT & FUNDING LOW INCOME SOLAR THOUGHT LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT
10. We are dedicated to providing the economic and environmental benefits of renewable energy to communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. We build partnerships that develop renewable energy projects and deliver positive impacts and cost savings to communities.
11. https://www.b-e-f.org/case-studies/sunward-building-community-energy-together/ Who we work with • Tribes • Local governments • Affordable housing providers • Community groups • Nonprofits • Consumer-owned utilities • Community Development Corporations • School districts • Businesses What we provide • Capacity building • Site Analysis • Feasibility studies • Grant writing support • RFP development • Financial modeling • Workforce development facilitation • Project funding • Contractor selection • Community education
12. Community Partners
13. EPA Solar for All Idaho, Montana, Wyoming Expecting awards in Spring 2024
14. • Partnership ◦ Blackfeet Community College, Heart Butte High School, GRID Alternatives, Glacier Electric Cooperative, BEF • Workforce training ◦ Hands-on install experience and professional training for Blackfeet community members, led by GRID Alternatives resulting in 2 permanent jobs • An estimated $17,983 in energy savings ◦ 20 households subscribed each year, saving $120-$330/year • Teacher training ◦ BEF’s CE Program worked with Shelby Jones, Heart Butte STEM educator to develop renewable energy curriculum Blackfeet Nation Community Solar Project
15. • 1.2MW DC community shared solar • Over 150 low-income and BIPOC households will save over $400 per year • Electrification, heat pump, and rooftop solar for transitional housing, https://twendesolar.org/dignity-village • Workforce opportunities • Green infrastructure • The PDX Community Solar project has been made possible in part by a grant from the City of Portland, Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund. PDX Community Solar
16. Evan Ramsey Senior Director, Renewables 503-553-3933 eramsey@b-e-f.org
17. ©2023 Clearloop | clearloop.us | 1 ©2023 Clearloop | clearloop.us | 1 No 'Net Zero' without equitable access to clean energy Laura Zapata, CEO & Co-Founder
18. 2 The Planetary Problem: Too many greenhouse gases Source: Emission Estimates from the Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990 - 2020 60.7% US electricity made from burning fossil fuels
19. 3 In the USA, electricity carbon emissions also greatly depends on your zip code
20. 4 Sun Availability (Irradiance) Carbon-Intense Grid (Emissionality) Distressed Community Index (socio-economic markers) + Make solar do more, for more +
21. 5 The ‘could be better’ news: Solutions are not within reach to most organizations
22. 6 Clearloop: what we do 100% RECLAIMED CARBON FOOTPRINT™ We help companies of all sizes reclaim their carbon footprint & expand access to clean energy by building new solar projects that decarbonize the grid and invest in American communities otherwise getting left behind
23. 7 Getting more parts of the economy to take action Expand access to clean energy by reclaiming carbon footprints For every Fortune 10 company, there are thousands of companies including their suppliers
24. We can make an equitable clean energy transition possible Scalable Action Apply Clearloop to any aspect of your business, loop in your customers, or incorporate it at the product level with your suppliers, no matter their size— cleaning the grid one footprint at a time. Equitable Transition Build clean energy facilities in the American communities in greatest need of economic investment and play an active role in an equitable transition to a decarbonized economy. 8
25. Impact in Action: 9 Organizations of all sizes–from fortune 50 to SMBs to universities– have contributed climate dollars to bring more than 20 million watts of new solar to life, avoiding millions of pounds of carbon emissions across 4 communities in Tennessee and Mississippi.
26. New Projects, Partners and Possibilities
27. 11 Offset, REC, inset, climate pledge, climate neutral- no matter what you call it– To get to net-zero, we need equitable access to clean energy. Let’s get to work!
28. Jenny Carney Senior Vice President WSP, Sustainability Energy & Climate Change April 2024
29. 2 Value Chain Sustainable Supply Chain Product Sustainability and LCA Buildings and Infrastructure Sustainable Energy System Evaluation and Planning Sustainable Real Estate Climate Resilience and Adaptation Planning Sustainable Infrastructure Sustainable Cities Resource Optimization Renewable Energy Sourcing Energy Strategy Water Stewardship Waste Management Strategy and Reporting Strategy, Materiality and Program Design Data Analytics Inventory Verification Inventory Management Goal and Target Setting Reporting and Disclosure Environmental Justice Community Engagement SECC supports ~120 customers on ~150 projects annually. These customers are mostly commercial entities, including more than 40 in the Fortune 500, at all stages of the sustainability and resilience journey. WSP’s Sustainability, Energy and Climate Change team works across the sustainability spectrum Climate Finance and Project Investment Services
30. Weight Evaluation Criteria 1/3 New Build Renewable Generation Approach 1/3 Local & Equitable Co-benefits 1/3 Pricing Projects that provide opportunities for Chicago residents of diverse backgrounds to meaningfully participate in, and benefit from, the low- carbon economy will be favorably considered
33. • Fund existing organizations embedded in the community to lead solution design • Move at the speed of trust Fund community-led environmental justice projects Amplify community resilience and solutions Environmental Justice Foundation (501c3, Grant- Making Entity) Grassroots EJ Organizations EJ Ambassador Fellowship PPA revenues Other contributions EJ Measurement & Evaluation Framework Clean energy investments Environmental Justice Projects (Regionally focused, Large collective impact)
34. EJ Measurement & Evaluation Framework: Purpose • Demonstrate which projects and partnerships are most impactful to drive EJ • Guide MSFT’s objective evaluation of project proposals related to environmental justice initiatives • Communicate best practices to internal and external partners • Create accountability for intended outcomes through metrics/reporting • Document positive outcomes to inform future EJ investment and negative outcomes to inform improvements
35. EJ Measurement & Evaluation Framework Design Considerations Sources • Based on Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund and Energy Democracy Flipbook • Co-created with EJ advisors, the Just Transition PowerForce Use considerations • Intuitive • Viable in global context and for different project types • Minimize burden on frontline organizations • To be used in equitable funding and selection processes