Energy Equity

Rise Up

Summary:

How do we achieve a more equitable energy economy? If you ask Denise Abdul-Rahman with the NAACP, she’ll kindly tell you that we need a system that increases employment opportunities and decreases pollution externalities. We need a system that creates investment opportunities for those in need instead of long-term dependencies. We need a system that prioritizes raising people out of poverty above raising profits for the few. She’ll say it starts with dialogue – listening to the communities in need and valuing community knowledge. And then she’ll ask you to re-imagine how a new clean energy economy can work for all.

View Full Episode Resources at: RiseUpMidwest.org/Energy-Equity

About This Episode:

Have you heard of the Opportunity Atlas? We’ll forgive you if you haven’t, though you probably should check it out. It’s a tool built from following 20 million U.S. children, those born between 1978 and 1983, into their mid-thirties to identify how their childhood zip code impacted their success as adults. It is likely the most ambitious and definitive study on the concept of “The American Dream.” The results are both sobering and promising:

"In nearly every place in the country, children whose parents were low-income tended to have poorer-than-average outcomes as adults. But it’s also important to note that the factors that inhibit mobility are within society’s control to influence – schools, violence, incarceration, housing, job access, and quality health care are some of the reasons that zip codes and census tracts matter for life outcomes. And these factors can be improved with the appropriate investment and good policy."

With 7.8 million U.S. families falling into poverty since June alone, these conclusions hold a dire warning for the future of the U.S. economy. If we want our children and grandchildren to live in a country defined by widespread prosperity, promise, and opportunity, then we need to prioritize our investments to support communities in need. The research also makes clear that creating this future is up to us, as each of the barriers for mobility can be addressed with good public policy.

When it comes to energy policy, a focus on energy equity could underwrite a nationwide jobs and economic development resurgence. This “Just Energy Transition” is defined by the widespread deployment of energy efficiency and distributed energy resources with a priority focus on career training and re-training for underemployed individuals. This re-imagining of our energy economy will require dialogue, community conversations, stakeholder engagement, and informed policy.

Today’s guest, Denise Abdul-Rahman, helps us navigate some of these conversations. Her work as a regional field organizer with the NAACP has her focused on the just energy transition, tackling issues of energy equity in Midwest communities. Her diverse background and experience give her an informed understanding that includes human health and wellness, workforce training, social and climate policy, and advocacy. And, the budding NAACP ‘Power Up’ program is starting to show some results and help chart a path for clean energy jobs for all.