Proximate is proud to partner with Everyday Climate Champions in re-publishing this episode, and hosting our first podcast!

Solar energy is one of the keys to the just and inclusive transition we need to make. While renewable energy is a hot topic, what about energy democracy? How can we enable everyone – including low-income and frontline communities – to own and shape their energy future? Learn from Crystal Huang, Co-founder and CEO worker-owner of People Power Solar Cooperative, based in Oakland, CA. She discusses a holistic understanding of what energy really is, and how to change the way we engage with it –  so all communities can thrive.

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Transcript: here

Guest: Grassroots community-builder Crystal Huang is the CEO and co-founder of People Power Solar Cooperative in Oakland. She also leads the national movement, the Energy Democracy Project - an effort to make energy resources accessible to all, especially those in underserved communities.

Host: Dalya Massachi

Why This Matters:  

The core of climate change issues revolve around the imbalance of power and democracy, making it necessary for people to be more aware of how infrastructure operates and how it’s governed. The next step is to change those power dynamics.

Key Takeaways

• Founded in 2018, the People Power Solar Cooperative is a growing movement with hundreds of community members.
• People Power Solar invests in shared energy resources that are mobile or permanent power-sharing stations.
• It’s important for people to have a clear understanding of how energy infrastructure works.
• As people gain a more holistic understanding of how energy is generated and where it comes from, they can shape their own energy future and thrive.
• The limited information big corporations provide in monthly utility bills is insufficient.  
• Knowing who controls access to the energy that households and businesses use is critical.
• Staying informed about changes in infrastructure-related legislation can have monetary benefits.
• The Residential Clean Energy Credit through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 went into effect last August, enabling taxpayers to claim a 30% tax credit for energy-efficient equipment purchases between January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2032.
• People Power Solar has partnered with the Freedge Movement, which provides free portable solar battery-operated refrigerators. The project has helped bring food to communities worldwide by reducing food waste and feeding the underserved.

How to Take Action

• Learn more and connect to others interested in community-led solar by following the links below.

Related Websites:

• People Power Solar Cooperative: Find out more about their work for a solar energy network
• People Power Playground: A digital space for the People Power community to learn from one another, develop shared visions of the energy future, and cultivate a community of practice
• Energy Democracy: Advancing Equity in Clean Energy Solutions: Edited by Denise Fairchild and Al Weinrub, this book is written by 10 different communities about their strategies of energy democracy
• People’s Utility Justice Playbook by the Energy Democracy Project:  A summary of the history of utilities, and an examination of the tactics used by electric utilities to undermine community efforts
• Solar United Neighbors: A national organization for solar co-ops
• Through the Eye of a Needle: An extensive article questioning the foundation of the mainstream energy transition narrative.

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Podcast Production Team: Executive Producer: Dalya Massachi; Sound Designers: Kayla Anchell, Trevor Skerbe; Co-Hosts/Researchers: George Dy, Ellisa Feinstein, Isabella Genereaux, Sean Mendelson, Hasini Parepalli, Lex Schrader, Alex Williams; Logo Designer: Gabriela Vargas