Energy Justice Leaders Program, Connecting Communities Through Energy Justice

One of the exciting programs Verde helps coordinate is the Energy Justice Leaders Program  (EJL) , a bilingual program that meets every other Monday and brings together community members from across Oregon to learn about energy justice, environmental justice, and the policies that shape our energy systems.

For the last 3 years, Verde has participated in this program alongside our wonderful partners, NW Energy Coalition (NWEC), Oregon Just Transition Alliance (OJTA), and Coalition of Communities of Color (CCC). Representing Verde are  Anahí and Annabelle who help support the program, facilitate discussions and connect community members with opportunities to learn and participate in energy policy. 

One of the goals of EJLP is to help community members become more involved in energy policy and advocacy. Participants come from communities across Oregon, including Southern Oregon, Eastern Oregon, the coast, and the Portland metro area, bringing different perspectives and experiences with energy affordability and access.

Throughout the program, participants get to explore a great number of topics, including the history and roots of environmental justice, what energy justice means, and what a just transition could look like for Oregon communities. The curriculum also covers Oregon's energy sources, how our energy system works, what the PUC is plus a simulation, and some of the important legislative victories that community organizations and advocates have helped advance over the years.

One of the wonderful things about EJLP is that the learning doesn't stop at our meetings! Each year, program coordinators organize a field trip, giving community members an opportunity to see energy justice projects in action and learn directly from the organizations and communities doing this work. Previous trips have included visits to community solar projects, where participants learned more about renewable energy and its benefits for local communities.

This year, in November, the Energy Justice Leaders Program will be visiting the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde! During this visit, participants of the program will have the opportunity to learn about the Tribe's energy related projects, including improvements and retrofits to community facilities supported through grant funding. The visit will also provide an opportunity to learn about how Tribal communities are investing in energy efficiency and creating solutions that respond to their own needs and priorities.

Through the program community members have had chances to share how rising energy costs and other inequities impact their households, contribute to discussions about how new policies are implemented, and provide testimony in legislative hearings or utility rate cases.

At its heart, the  EJLP is about making energy policy more accessible, building relationships, and ensuring that the people that are most impacted by decisions about our energy system have opportunities to be part of those conversations. Verde is proud to be part of this program and to continue working alongside our partners and community members to advance a more equitable energy future for all Oregonians!