Managing Growth - Other Issues

Trailblazing Clean Solutions for Community Empowerment

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM PT

Location: 213CD, Level 2, Anaheim Convention Center

Moderator(s)

Joel Gamoran (he/him/his)

Vice President & General Manager, Energy Services
Arcadia
Greenwood Village, Colorado, United States

Panelist(s)

Utopia Hill (she/her/hers)

CEO
Reactivate
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Annie Lappé (she/her/hers)

Vice President, Strategy and Impact
Pivot Energy
Boulder, Colorado, United States
Katie Ottenweller

Energy Market Development & Policy, U.S. Southeast
Google
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Mary C. Palmer (she/her/hers)

Director of Energy Equity & Inclusion
Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA)
Houston, Texas, United States

A significant number of people that want to take part in clean energy do not have access to state or utility programs for community or rooftop solar, leaving them without an opportunity to do so. This lack of access disproportionately impacts low-income communities that are burdened by high energy costs. But, many corporate sustainability initiatives now incorporate environmental justice alongside carbon reduction targets, creating new avenues for action. In addition, ambitious federal policy and private partnerships offer a promising solution to address both environmental justice and energy cost burdens. This panel will explore how innovative business models, accelerated by the Inflation Reduction Act, can transcend state and policy limitations and increase access to low-income communities.