Community Energy Center

Policymakers along with business and nonprofit leaders are in Raleigh this week for a conference on North Carolina’s transition to clean energy. While technology and policy are key themes, some speakers want to make sure people of color and low-income residents are not left out.

The two-day State Energy Conference at N.C. State University has sessions on solar and wind power, electric vehicles and how Duke Energy and regulators are drafting plans to reduce the use of fossil fuels.

But one panel focused on the risk that current energy reforms will bring new social inequities. Climate justice activist William Barber … Read More >>

by Emily Oliver

COLUMBUS, Ohio — City leaders announced a new jobs program on Thursday aimed at connecting Columbus residents with training and experience in the clean-energy sector. 

The Empowered! program will recruit residents ages 18-24 from communities of color and women in areas throughout the city deemed “opportunity zones.” The program aims to provide participants with the skills necessary to help them pursue careers in the clean-energy sector.

“Addressing climate change is about more than reducing carbon emissions,” said Mayor Andrew Ginther. “It is also about expanding opportunity, promoting upward mobility and elevating quality of life.” 

In order to … Read More >>

by Kale Williams

As a child growing up in rural Oregon, Vanessa Grant Coats loved the outdoors. Exploring the wild areas of the state with her family — camping, hiking and fishing — are some of her favorite memories and led to dreams of becoming a marine biologist.

But as a Black kid romping around a mostly white state, she rarely saw people who looked like her enjoying the same outdoor activities.

“I didn’t always feel like I belonged,” Grant Coats told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “I never saw anyone who looked like me as a marine biologist. I never saw them … Read More >>