Way Forward
Way forward 1:
Energy Democracy
As defined by Climate Justice Alliance, “Energy Democracy frames the international struggle of working people, low-income communities, Asian and Pacific Islander, Black, Brown, and Indigenous nations and their communities to take control of energy resources from the energy establishment and use those resources to empower their communities literally (by providing energy), economically, and politically. It means bringing energy resources under public or community ownership and/or governance.”
Organizations leading the way in Energy Democracy:
Climate Justice Alliance’s Energy Democracy working group (EnDEM)
The Our Power Plan: Charting a Path to Climate Justice - The plan urges federal and state decision-makers to assure that frontline environmental justice communities and workers be primary stakeholders in the implementation process of the Clean Power Plan
"Uprose" by 350.org is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 - 2017
UPROSE
Uprose works in the interest of a Just Transition, a move away from the extraction economy and towards climate solutions that put frontline communities in positions of leadership.- Sunset Park Solar is New York City’s first community solar project owned and operated by a cooperative for the benefit of local residents and businesses. It is a 685 kilowatt solar project that will be built on the Brooklyn Army Terminal rooftop.
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
ILSR provides technical assistance to communities about local solutions for sustainable community development in areas such as banking, broadband, energy, and waste through local purchasing.- Community Power Interactive Toolkit
- Beyond Sharing: How Communities Can Take Ownership of Renewable Power
- Local Energy Rules [Podcast Series]
- Community Power Map
ESKOM Research Reference Group: Achieving a Just Transition for South Africa.
- Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC), Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED), and South Africa's National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA), Transnational Institute (TNI) and National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) are developing a road map to establish a new public electricity system based on a progressive energy transition and restructuring of Eskom, the South Africa’s state-owned power company.
- What Is Energy Democracy? Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung
Instituto de Ecología Política (IEP) / Institute of Political Ecology (IPE) - Chile
IEP’s work has been carried out through education for sustainability, research, strengthening civil society, education and reporting campaigns, and legal actions in the defense of the environment and people; through the creation of strategic alliances and the development of public policies the right to live in a healthy environment can be guaranteed.- Camino Solar: An initiative by IEP to promote citizen participation in the generation of photovoltaic energy, in order to contribute to the decentralization and democratization of the transition towards an energy model based on renewable energies. [Video]
Centre for Environment and Energy Development - India
CEED is a solution-driven organization that works towards creating inspiring solutions to maintain a healthy, clean and sustainable environment- 100% Renewable Energy (RE) Bihar - A Guide Map
- CEED decentralized renewable energy [Video]
More Resources on Energy Democracy
Books, Articles, and Reports
- Energy Democracy: Advancing Equity in Clean Energy Solutions, edited by Denise Fairchild, Al Weinrub
- “Energy Democracy: Community-Led Solutions – Three Case Studies” by Center for Social Inclusion
- Tracing the emerging energy transitions in the Global North and the Global South - Authors: Ortzi Akizu, Leire Urkidi, Gorka Bueno, Rosa Lago, Iñaki Barcena, Martin Mantxo, Izaro Basurko, Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede
- Democratizing Energy to Counter the Climate Catastrophe, Resilience.org
- Potencial Cooperativas ERNC en América Latina - Instituto de Ecología Política (IEP) [Paper, ES]
- Principals of Energy Democracy
- Seminario propone potenciar cooperativas de energía en Latinoamérica - Instituto de Ecología Política (IEP) [Article, ES]
- Towards Energy Democracy, TNI
- The Future is Public: Democratic Ownership of Public Services, TNI
- A renewable energy model based on participation, collective ownership and gender equity, TNI
- Hundreds of Thousands Are Without Power Thanks to PG&E. This Shows Why We Need Public Ownership, In These Times
- Energy Democracy: Redistributing Power to the People Through Renewable Transformation
- The Energy Democracy Flipbook, curated by Emerald Cities Collaborative
- Utility Justice Campaign (California-based campaign for a safe, reliable, community-and-worker-owned energy system)
- The PG&E Bailout and What It Means for You, Utility Justice Campaign (California)
- Leap Manifesto: A Call for Canada Based on Caring for the Earth and One Another
- Towards Energy Democracy, TNI
- Wildfires, Shutoffs, And A Just Transition, Movement Generation
- Life After Mining, Yes to Life, No to Mining
Way forward 2:
Renewable Energy
While renewable energy has been rapidly growing in popularity as the only viable alternative source of energy for a sustainable future, conversations around renewable energy tend to leave an impression that it can fully substitute our current reliance on fossil fuels. But that is neither possible (due to physical and technical obstacles of renewable energy production) nor sustainable (as producing renewable energy still requires non-renewable resources, such as minerals). A just and equitable energy transition for the people and the planet, requires us to think beyond the realm of industrial capitalism, as no “planet-friendly” energy system can sustain the current need for exponential growth. The implementation of and advocacy for renewable energy by organizations presented in this section goes in tandem with the principles of Energy Democracy highlighted in the first Solution.
Organizations & campaigns leading the way in Renewable Energy:
Sacred Earth Solar
Sacred Earth Solar empowers front line Indigenous communities in Canada with renewable energy.- Piitapan Solar Project - a 20.8kW renewable energy installation in Little Buffalo that powers the community health centre launched by Sacred Earth Solar in 2015. The 80-panel solar project has created more green jobs and reduced the community’s reliance on fossil fuels.
- Sacred Earth Solar - Protecting Land is Protecting Women Video
Post Carbon Institute
Post Carbon Institute’s work in relation to Energy focuses on growing a collective understanding of our energy reality, and the need for both conservation and appropriate, community-centric renewable energy.Green New Deal
The Green New Deal is a congressional resolution that lays out a grand plan for tackling climate change, calling for state- based solutions. While throughout each sector presented by Climate Resource Hub, we highly encourage to step away from state-based solution, due to complexity of the global energy network, some level of state intervention is required to not only leave fossil fuels in the ground and halt any further expansion, but also to lift up highly resource intensive alternative energy projects.
- The GND as submitted to US House of Representatives
- Climate Justice Alliance & The Green New Deal: A Green New Deal Must Be Rooted in a Just Transition for Workers and Communities most impacted by Climate Change
- Indigenous Environmental Network responded to the Green New Deal framework by highlighting that any GND Must be rooted in the Indigenous Principles of Just Transition
- IEN’s response to the GND resolution that voices concerns around how it leaves incentives by industries and governments to continue causing harm to Indigenous communities
8th Fire Solar
8th Fire Solar is building a better future for our Native American communities by creating and assembling a sustainable and renewable energy product: solar thermal panels.Solar Bear
Solar Bear is the only Native American owned full service solar installation company in the state of Minnesota that builds renewable energy projects for the future generations of Turtle Island and Mother Earth.Kara Solar
Kara Solar is a solar-powered river transportation, energy, and community enterprise initiative in the Ecuadorian Amazon. This sort of initiative is important as it strengthens indigenous sovereignty and land rights, thereby funding these types of projects enhances the resiliency of the Amazonia rainforest and lowers dependency on fossil fuels in that region.- Conceived in a dream, new solar canoe will serve Amazon tribe
- Here comes the sun canoe, as Amazonians take on Big Oil
More Renewable Energy Resources:
Books, Articles, and Reports
- Resilience.org, Energy Section
- Power for the People: Delivering on the Promise of Decentralized, Community-Controlled Renewable Energy Access, WEDO
- Ordinary Citizens Help Drive Spread of Solar Power in Chile - Inter Press Service
- Another Energy Is Possible, Heinrich Boll Foundation
- Our Power: Achieving a Just Energy Transition for South Africa, AIDC, TNI, TUED
- Community Choice Energy, Local Clean Energy Alliance