The pathway to decarbonization in our region will neither be easy nor straightforward, but it has to be successful and it must be fair. For too long, BIPOC communities have disproportionately borne the environmental and health burdens of our energy system while being underserved by emerging clean energy solutions. Living in close proximity to highways and transportation depots, refineries and power plants, these communities have paid for exposure to environmental hazards with their health and well-being. COVID-19 has tragically demonstrated the deadly legacy of environmental injustice. But as we move towards a clean energy future, the opportunity for a just transition is here, if we seize the moment.
The New York metropolitan region has ambitious goals for clean energy. New York must decarbonize the electric sector by 2040 and all sectors of the economy by 2050, while ensuring that 35% of the benefits of transitioning to clean energy accrue to disadvantaged communities. New Jersey and Connecticut are both aiming for 100% clean energy by 2050 and 2040, respectively. What are the utility companies that produce and deliver power doing to advance this transition? How can they ensure that this energy future is just, equitable and affordable for those historically underserved? Can a market-based approach successfully achieve carbon, affordability, health and equity goals?
Join us on Friday, September 25 from 11am - 12pm EST for a wide-ranging discussion with leaders from the region’s utility companies, community-based organizations and leading thinkers in this space. This event was made possible through generous support from Con Edison Foundation.
Speakers
-
Dale Bryk
Consultant, Energy Innovation (Moderator)
-
Nathaniel Bullard
Chief Content Officer, BloombergNEF
-
Cecil Corbin-Mark
Deputy Director & Director of Policy Initiatives, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
-
Kyle Kimball
Vice President of Government, Regional & Community Affairs, Con Ed, Inc.
-
Richard Thigpen
Senior Vice President of Corporate Citizenship, PSEG
