SELC is Expanding its Community Energy Program!

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SELC is Expanding its Community Energy Program!

Posted by 1294.40sc on October 16, 2015

SELC is expanding its Community Renewable Energy Program!

We are at a pivotal crossroads: as society tackles climate change and the fossil fuel industry, we have an opportunity to do so in a way that breaks cycles of growing income inequality, and builds resilient communities that generate their own clean energy. In response, SELC has committed to bolster our sustainable economy energy work, hired a full-time Community Renewable Energy Program director (see below!), and is undertaking a strategic planning process to develop our energy program's approach to advancing a just, equitable, and rapid transition to renewables.

We are building on our energy program's ongoing work over the last few years, providing advice and support to communities and working on policy campaigns such as passing and ensuring the success of California's Green Tariff Shared Renewables program. Moving forward, we are planning to expand our work in ways such as:

Supporting more communities through direct legal advice and by developing legal guidance materials for forming renewable energy cooperatives,
Growing local, regional, and national coalition capacity to further community-benefiting electricity generation, and
Advocating for policies that remove barriers and implement solutions to catalyze the broad deployment of non-extractively financed, local, community-owned renewable projects.

Are you interested in supporting this work? Consider making a donation today!

Meet our new Community Renewable Energy Director, Subin Varghese!

Subin is leading SELC's effort to ensure that it is primarily communities, nonprofits, cooperatives, and households -- not large utilities -- that will own and control energy infrastructure as society transitions to renewable energy. Subin is passionate about building hope that humanity can respond to climate change in an equitable and transformational manner.

Subin grew up in Houston and studied business and government at the University of Texas at Austin. He then spent four years working in the Washington, DC area within the field of nonprofit communications -- first for the Tahirih Justice Center and then M+R Strategic Services. Subin received his JD from the UC Berkeley School of Law, where he was involved in promoting sustainability, environmental justice, and mindfulness. He watches A LOT of science and nature shows on Netflix, is constantly amazed by Neil deGrasse Tyson, and ponders a side career in voice acting.

Local Economies Securities Act Needs YOUR Help!

Do you want to move your money from Wall Street or your bank account into local businesses or community organizations? Are you looking for friendly investors for your small enterprise? Would you like for beginning farmers to have more support from their community when attempting to purchase or lease farmland? Would you like more solar and wind energy to be produced in your city or region? If your answer to ANY of these questions is “yes,” then we need you to express support for California’s Local Economies Securities Act (SB 577)! Learn more here >>>