Episode Description

As the Federal government invests heavily in clean energy projects, we have an opportunity to ensure that the communities impacted benefit from the influx of resources. Historically, communities in the immediate vicinity of utility-scale energy projects generally did not receive benefits from the project but bore the burdens of increased pollution and negative health effects. Today we’ll discuss a new white paper from the Initiative for Energy Justice that explores the critical role of Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) and Community Benefits Plans (CBPs) in ensuring that underserved and overburdened communities benefit from recent federal investments in clean energy and climate infrastructure. Tune in as we speak with Dr. Marisa Sotolongo, Senior Policy Analyst with the Initiative for Energy Justice.