The Department of Energy distributed $100 billion in clean energy funding through programs like the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Every project required a community benefit plan (CBP) to ensure that investments benefited the communities they touched. Yet our recently released policy brief reveals a striking gap: only 8% of reviewed projects committed to formal agreements with communities or workers.
What happened? And more importantly, what can we learn?
Listen to our in-depth conversation with practitioners, advocates, and former federal officials who worked directly with community benefit plans. This webinar examines three detailed case studies—including successes, challenges, and critical lessons for the future of energy justice policy. Though the current administration has stopped CBP implementation at the federal level, state and local governments are designing their own benefit frameworks right now. The lessons from these case studies can inform more effective, equitable approaches to community engagement in clean energy projects nationwide.
→ Read the complete policy brief
Our Speakers
Sonrisa Lucero was a Special Advisor for Stakeholder Engagement in the Office of Energy Justice and Equity where she led DOE-wide efforts to integrate community voice into DOE decision-making and build trusted relationships with impacted communities on the frontlines of the energy system. Previously, she was the Equitable Buildings Decarbonization Manager at RMI where she led the efforts to integrate equity into carbon-free buildings policy and advocacy. She also worked to advance equitable sustainability and climate policy at the City and County of Denver in the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency and to cost-effectively reduce energy consumption and increase the sustainability of the built environment as a Consulting Energy Engineer at Sustainnovations, LLC and Eaton Energy Corporation (formerly EMC Engineers).
Daniel Rossi-Keen is Executive Director of RiverWise. RiverWise exists to organize community power and voice so that residents can assert agency over the future of Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Daniel has served on the boards of more than thirty nonprofit and civic organizations, teaches regularly at colleges and universities around the region, and writes a regular column entitled “Community Matters” for “The Bridge”. Daniel holds a PhD in Rhetoric and Public Culture from Ohio University, and lives in Aliquippa with his wife and four children, who daily motivate him to work toward more vibrant communities throughout Beaver County.
Meagan Niebler, MPH, (she/her) has been creating, implementing, and evaluating community-based programming since 2008. Her career started as a birth doula and home visitor, which led her path and passion toward reproductive and sexual health education. Her work has included developing and implementing sexuality-education curriculums for families, including the evidence-based Linking Families and Teens; facilitating community-based breast and cervical health education; and directing a support program for postpartum families with complex needs. Since coming to Fair Shake in 2021, Meagan has seen how the same systems that impact reproductive justice impact environmental justice, and loves to help communities strategize and pull legal, policy, and organizing levers to move their vision into action. This work includes providing direct support to community coalitions negotiating community benefits, and providing regional and national technical assistance to ensure that community voice is centered in community benefits conversations.
Justin Williams A lifelong West Virginian, Justin currently serves as the Director of the Affiliated Construction Trades (ACT), part of the West Virginia Building and Construction Trades Council. My work centers on advocating for the skilled construction workforce through policy, education, and strategic partnerships. Justin leads a small but mighty team focused on supporting local unions, ensuring fair wages and benefits, promoting job site safety, and protecting public investments. Before ACT, he served as an attorney for the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 132. His career has bridged the worlds of law, policy, and politics — including roles as policy director for West Virginia’s Secretary of State, state field director for a statewide campaign, and attorney for the West Virginia House of Delegates.
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