Last weekend, 100 guests came out to see a screening of the new Sierra Club film “Reinventing Power: America’s Renewable Energy Boom” in Austin, Texas. The 50-minute film showcases stories from across the nation of people working in the clean energy economy, featuring community advocates in Austin working to make sure that equity is prioritized as the Texas capitol invests more and more in solar projects.
The screening was followed by an amazing panel discussion with representatives from the City’s African American Resource Advisory Commission (AARAC), the former Low Income Consumer Advisory Task Force and the Electric Utility Commission, Sierra Club, Austin Energy and the International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology (ICAST). The panelists spoke about the ways in which community advocates, residents, and policy experts can work together to advance solar policies and innovation for lower-income residents and communities of color, exploring questions like the motivation behind the AARAC’s Solar and Economics working group and how Austin Energy could partner with city departments and organizations to increase solar accessibility.
“Reinventing Power: America’s Renewable Energy Boom" Austin Screening (July 21, 2018)
From left to right: Ruthie Redmond, Cyrus Reed, Kenneth D. Thompson Sr., Rachel Stone, Danielle Murray
(Photo: Vanessa Ramos)
Panelist Danielle Murray from Austin Energy, along with others, acknowledged that conversations about the public utility’s current and future renewable energy projects should and will continue to prioritize equity, workforce development, accessibility and affordability for low-income residents and communities of color in the city which touts itself as a progressive leader on renewable energy.
Cyrus Reed, the Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter’s Conservation Director and former member of the Low Income Consumer Advisory Task Force, along with Rachel Stone, with ICAST, spoke about multifamily affordable housing communities, as well as energy efficiency access.
Moving forward, Kenneth D. Thompson Sr. (panelist), Ruthie Redmond (moderator) and other commissioners on the African American Resource Advisory Commission plan to amplify more of the Colony Park narrative, which focuses on energy efficiency, renewable opportunities and green jobs for the community as the East Austin neighborhood undergoes upcoming development. This week, part of that story was featured in the Austin American Statesman, the city’s major daily newspaper.
So what’s next? For a city that prides itself on innovation, the opportunities for partnerships are seemingly endless. Instead of summer fan drives, Thompson imagines drives for solar-operated devices that can hook up to A/C units to provide power without getting energy from the grid.
“I think we should press our technology sector to become part of the solution with renewable energy consumption. I think we should challenge them to help create a low cost renewable device that directly improves the quality of life for less fortunate Austinites.” - Kenneth D. Thompson Sr.
With the right focus - centering renewable energy investment on the communities historically left out of the industry - there could be real progress in Austin, Texas.