Twenty-one states plus DC and Puerto Rico have set goals through legislation or executive orders to achieve 100% clean energy. In an encouraging trend, states are giving increasing attention to equity and environmental justice in their 100% clean energy plans. A new CESA report, “Advancing Equity through 100% Clean Energy: A Review of the Plans of 12 States”, documents this trend by reviewing the 100% clean energy plans of the 12 US states with published plans. The report analyzes them through an equity and environmental justice lens, outlining how the different states view the equity implications of climate impacts, and what they are proposing for mitigation solutions, planning processes, and implementation processes. It identifies common themes and best practices, and it presents a selection of relevant case studies and examples.

In this CESA webinar, Dr. Tony Reames of the US Department of Energy will place the states’ energy equity activities into the context of federal environmental justice initiatives, including the Justice40 Initiative. Report author Charles Hua, a CESA Research Fellow, will present the report’s findings.