Equitable Grid Principles

To grapple with these questions, a group of some 25 community and environmental justice leaders, electric grid analysts, and labor representatives, including UCS staff members, met in New Orleans, Louisiana in 2022. Their discussions led to a set of principles that can help guide electric grid decisionmaking while improving community health, creating good local jobs, providing financial benefits, avoiding additional burdens on communities already vulnerable to environmental health hazards, and securing a reliable, clean, and renewable electricity system for generations to come.

The following contributing authors participated in producing this document:

• Colin Byers, Union of Concerned Scientists
• Kelly Lynch, Consultant
• Maggie Schuppert, CURE Minnesota
• Yvonne Cappel-Vickery, Alliance for Affordable Energy
• Colette Pichon Battle, Taproot Earth
• Bridget Vial, Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition
• James Gignac, Union of Concerned Scientists
• Olivia Nedd, Vote Solar
• Timothy DenHerder-Thomas, Cooperative Energy Futures
• Sam Gomberg, Union of Concerned Scientists
• Albert Pollard, Clear RTO Path
• Tanmay Shukla, Environmental Law and Policy Center
• Edyta Sitko, Union of Concerned Scientists
• Shimekia Nichols, Soulardarity
• Sheila Tahir, Louisiana Bucket Brigade
• Carolina Ortiz, Communities Organizing Latino Power and Action
• Ryan Perez, Communities Organizing Latino Power and Action
• Mike Jacobs, Union of Concerned Scientists
• Bette Billiot, Houma Nation, tribal member
• Clarice Friloux, Taproot Earth, Houma Nation, tribal member
• Leo Alicante, Quioveo Energy
• Sage Michael Pellet, Healthy Gulf
• Ansha Zaman, Center for Earth, Energy, and Democracy