Clean Power, Healthy Communities 2017

Be part of the clean energy revolution! 

10-year Anniversary, Book Release,
& Action Conference

The Local Clean Energy Alliance convened its 6th Clean Power, Healthy Communities Conference Fall of 2017, combined with the celebration of the Alliance’s 10-year anniversary and publication by Island Press of our book, Energy Democracy: Advancing Equity in Clean Energy Solutions.

Bringing Energy to the Movement for Justice

The November 2016 election not only underscored the urgent need to transform American political, economic, and social structures, but it also laid bare the close relationship of energy and climate change to the issue of racial and economic justice.

It has become increasingly clear that climate solutions must be part and parcel of a broader transformation, that the transition to a renewable energy future must mean a new kind of energy economy with justice at its core. For example, the shift to renewable energy must be a shift from the development of large-scale, centralized energy to community-based decentralized energy, where energy resources are used to address poverty, unemployment, inequality, personal and community health, displacement, and, of course, climate change.

Accordingly, the theme of Clean Power, Healthy Communities 2017 was building a path forward to increased community control and ownership of renewable energy resources. We explored how democratizing energy can empower and address the needs of our communities—especially low-income communities and communities of color—and strengthen the movement for environmental, economic, and social justice.

Nov 16: Evening Celebration of Local Clean Energy
10-Year Anniversary and Book Release Party

2017 marked the 10th anniversary of the Local Clean Energy Alliance and we celebrated that milestone with an evening event of spoken word and music in recognition of founding individuals and in appreciation of close organizational allies. Community organizers mingled with the region’s top clean energy thinkers and decision makers representing labor, government, green business, environment, and underrepresented community sectors. 

In addition, we celebrated the release of Energy Democracy: Advancing Equity in Clean Energy Solutions, a product of our national collaboration to democratize energy, looking forward to the next ten years of building the energy democracy movement. We introduced the contributors to the new book, with a few words from its co-editors.

Nov 17: Action Conference
6th Clean Power, Healthy Communities Conference

Breakfast, lunch, and beverages included in the fully interactive conference (conference program here).

A special gathering of clean energy and social justice advocates in the Bay Area. Over the past 7 years, these conferences have helped build a constituency for decentralized energy policies and programs in California—most notably for Community Choice energy. We explored strategies and programs for advancing a local clean energy transition in the Bay Area—and beyond. The conference took up a range of topics, from national policy frameworks to local community projects. 

The conference program included morning interactive plenaries featuring authors of Energy Democracy, followed by afternoon breakout sessions engaging conference participants on how community-based energy can empower communities, address community needs, and advance community resilience in the face of climate change. All of this with special reference to the Bay Area’s newest, groundbreaking Community Choice energy program, East Bay Community Energy.

The conference brought clean energy practitioners together with community organizers to explore their common interests and perspectives. It provided ample networking opportunities and is meant to encourage collaboration and working partnerships toward building a more resilient clean energy future.