Energy Equity Collaborative

Providing a forum for collaboration between those that serve and represent historically marginalized communities and New York State.

The Energy Equity Collaborative is being established with a Founding Steering Committee in 2023. It will provide a coordinated forum for community-based organizations and stakeholders that are representative of or principally serve Disadvantaged Communities , and NYSERDA to work together to address energy equity and climate justice issues and develop equitable programs.

With NYSERDA’s support, the Collaborative will host public meetings and create working groups for sector-specific issues. The Collaborative will host a network of organizations that help ensure the experiences and needs of under-resourced and historically marginalized communities are front and center in decision-making and program planning. The Collaborative includes participation from other New York State agencies, including members of the interagency Low-Income Energy Task Force, with which NYSERDA will coordinate on issues and opportunities raised.

Purpose of the Energy Equity Collaborative

• Elevate energy and climate equity issues in New York State and align on best opportunities to inform and collaborate on initiative development 
• Build constructive relationships between NYSERDA and community organizations representing disadvantaged communities (DACs) and align on equitable program and policy development opportunities at NYSERDA
• Develop the knowledge, connections, and capacity of participating DAC stakeholders to inform State clean energy planning
• Provide a dedicated forum for NYSERDA to share updates on its plans and actions and for frontline community organizations and individuals to provide early-stage, high-level feedback on programs and initiatives in a structured but informal manner to support transparency, accountability, and relationship building

Founding Steering Committee

The Collaborative is co-led by a Founding Steering Committee comprised of the following community-based organizations that primarily serve historically marginalized and otherwise disadvantaged communities:

• Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA)
• ALIGN: The Alliance for a Greater New York (ALIGN)
• Blueprint Geneva 
• BlocPower 
• Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York 
• Green City Force 
• Long Island Progressive Coalition (LIPC) 
• New York City Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC-EJA) 
• New York State Community Action Association (NYSCAA)
• People United for Sustainable Housing Buffalo (PUSH Buffalo) 
• Public Utility Law Project (PULP)
• Schaghticoke First Nations Indigenous People’s Organization
• WE ACT for Environmental Justice

The Founding Steering Committee is helping organize the structure, focus, engagement, and launch of the Collaborative that will eventually engage a very broad and diverse network of community-based organizations. The Founding Steering Committee will also provide input, as needed, on early-stage planning of initiatives from NYSERDA during the first year. While the Collaborative will serve in an advisory role to NYSERDA (i.e., not a legal entity or formal decision-making body), NYSERDA commits to transparency and accountability around issues and opportunities identified by the Founding Steering Committee, and to collaborating on solutions.

The Founding Steering Committee Selection Criteria [PDF], developed in collaboration with community stakeholders, were used to guide selection of Founding Steering Committee members. The Founding Steering Committee will also establish the process for organizations to participate in the Collaborative and determine how future Steering Committees will be selected in 2024 and beyond.