Climate Justice Newsletter - March 2024
Newsletter for March 2024
This monthly newsletter provides a list of events and opportunities, news articles, and reports related to climate justice, energy equity, energy justice, and equitable decarbonization.
Events & Opportunities
3/27 2:30pm ET Environmental Justice for Tribes and Indigenous Peoples (EPA)
Agenda
The Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights Updates: Inflation Reduction Act Funding, Technical Assistance, and Other Programs and Policies
Best Practices to Advance Environmental Justice: Demonstration of EPA’s EJScreen Mapping Tool
Tribal Presentation: Overview of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council’s Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Nations Work Group
Open Discussion and Q& A
By 3/29: Hazel M. Johnson fellowship (for Black women in college/recent graduates)
The Hazel M. Johnson Fellowship Program focuses on increasing opportunities for emerging leaders of color to learn about, engage with, and enter the environmental and climate sectors with adequate funding, mentorship, and community building. The Fellowship is designed to attract and support Black women and gender-expansive rising juniors, rising seniors, and recent college graduates with demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in the environmental and/or climate sectors.
By 4/3: Nominations for EPA’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee
The CASAC is a chartered, federal advisory committee that provides advice, information, and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on the scientific and technical aspects of air quality criteria and National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). One important part of this advice is to assess the impact of health impacts of criteria air pollutants on susceptible populations and to recommend air standards that are protective of susceptible populations and populations with environmental justice concerns.
By 4/12 5pm ET: Solutions for Lasting, Viable Energy Infrastructure Technologies (SOLVE IT) Prize (DOE)
SOLVE IT is open to competitors interested in neighborhood-, town-, or city-scale strategic planning around clean energy. The three-phase competition will award $5 million to competitors who can identify local energy-related challenges, connect with stakeholders to find solutions, and create and start to carry out an implementation plan. Individuals or organizations with a history of successful participatory community-based initiatives—especially in disadvantaged and energy-burdened communities—are encouraged to join.
Recordings: Community Change Grants (EPA)
The CCG program directs almost two billion dollars to support community-driven projects in historically disadvantaged communities.
Webinars available
Preparing a Grant Budget
Complying with Federal Grants Requirements and Developing a Compliance Plan
CCG Community Plans: Engagement, Governance, and Strength
Recording: Environmental Justice: Taking Stock of Justice40 (Resources for the Future)
The panel of experts and community leaders examined what’s happened since RFF’s 2021–2022 Exposure series, how the Justice40 Initiative priorities have been implemented across federal programs, and RFF’s work in measuring the initiative’s impact.
Recording: Climate Justice Series: Environmental Justice Movements From Mahad to Today (Columbia SIPA)
The event explored how transnational solidarities may support large-scale interventions to advance social and climate justice globally. The speakers will present an anti-caste conception of environmental justice through the past and present of Mahad as well as examine current blindspots to structural inequality in climate movements. Importantly, they will also share examples of ongoing state-level interventions that hold promise for transformation.
News Articles
Advancing energy justice: A new paradigm in grid equity and reliability analysis (Utility Dive, 2/26)
Highlights the MI Public Service Commission’s decision to order DTE to run regression analyses and understand energy reliability in diverse communities. The approach allows DTE to gain insights into the specific needs and challenges of various communities, leading to more targeted and effective distribution system planning.
“DTE Electric Company shall also work with the Commission Staff and stakeholders to develop a detailed regression analysis of customer demographics and reliability for vulnerable communities to be used in the company’s distribution plan case. DTE Electric Company shall also provide the data supporting the regression analysis to enable interested parties to perform their own analyses.”
A Boston grocery store could become a proving ground for a new approach to equitable community solar (Energy News Network, 3/19)
The Boston Community Solar Cooperative is in the pre-development stage of an 81 kilowatt solar project on the roof of the Dorchester Food Co-op, in one of the city’s lowest-income neighborhoods. Residents will be able to buy or earn ownership stakes in the project, which will be governed by a board of community stakeholders. The food store will buy the power at a discounted rate and the revenue created will be shared among this group of owners.
Minnesota reboots community solar program with new focus on lower-income residents (Energy News Network, 2/9)
Community solar developers will be allowed to build larger projects with fewer geographic restrictions, up to 5 megawatts anywhere in Xcel’s service territory. Previously, projects were limited to 1 megawatt, and developers could only sign up subscribers who lived in the same or an adjacent county as the project’s location. The biggest changes come with the mix of subscribers developers must recruit for projects. At least 30% of a project’s subscribers must be low- or moderate-income residential customers. Another 25% must be allotted for schools, government agencies or other public interest organizations.
Microsoft Signs 15-Year “Environmental Justice PPA” from New US Solar Farm with EDP, Volt Energy (ESG Today, 3/20)
The new agreement uses an Environmental Justice PPA (EJ PPA) form developed by Microsoft and Volt Energy, which focuses on clean energy investments in rural and urban communities that are disproportionately impacted by environmental injustices and behind in securing the benefits of a clean energy economy.
The Clean Energy Connector will enable state community solar program administrators to thoroughly vet community solar providers, who must adhere to the state consumer protection and savings requirements to participate in the platform. Available now in Illinois, DC, and New Mexico.
Webinar for other states to get involved April 10
EPA launches website for updates on Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR) (EPA, 2/22)
OEJECR provides resources and other technical assistance on civil rights and environmental justice, engages with communities with environmental justice concerns, and provides support for community-led action.
Reports & Resources
Community-based organizations: Key players in shaping home energy rebates (Rewiring America, Feb 2024)
This document is intended to help CBOs and EJ organizations understand the opportunities that exist to shape the implementation of the Home Rebate Programs and maximize the benefits for their communities
Building Stronger Community Engagement in Hydrogen Hubs (EFI Foundation, Feb 2024)
Community Charging: Emerging Multifamily, Curbside, and Multimodal Practices (Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, Feb 2024)
The white paper discusses innovative mobility options for all types of communities, including renters and multifamily housing residents. Intended for the use of public officials, property and vehicle owners, utilities, and other stakeholders, the paper includes strategies that go beyond installing private onsite EV chargers at multifamily properties, including charging in the public right-of-way and technical and cost-saving solutions to common barriers.
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