Energy (in)Equity

Energy (in)Equity is a professional training that examines how the energy industry perpetuates systemic and racial injustice and what each participant can do to address injustices through individual and collective policy work.

  • The facilitators created a safe space for us to share our experiences, and set up the training to be both engaging and reflective. I would recommend anyone, no matter their time/experience in the energy field, take this training to understand how important it is to integrate an equity lens into our everyday work!

    Sarina Soor, Gridworks

  • Robust curriculum that encourages curiosity, introspection, engagement, and growth. This training gave me a lot to think about regarding how to carry the lessons forward and apply them in my work!

    Energy (in)Equity Participant

  • This training is the energy and climate-specific training we need. It thoughtfully blends specific energy industry context into equity lessons—a foundation to build equitable practice in your work in a productive way

    Energy (in)Equity Participant

What Energy (in)Equity Offers

Practice using a racial justice lens to identify inequities and injustices in the energy industry

Examine real life examples of energy and environmental policymakers and advocates putting the Jemez Principles into action and how those actions support more equitable outcomes

Identify personal next steps and explore anticipated barriers and challenges to integrating equitable practices in your work

Why this Training

The energy system in the United States is flawed.

Through exclusionary policymaking processes embedded within this system, those with power and privilege benefit the most, while those in low income and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and other marginalized communities are disproportionately burdened by its harms.

Through this training, Common Spark aims to build a clean and healthy world where everyone benefits. As Ibram X. Kendi writes, “every policy in every institution in every community in every nation is producing or sustaining either racial inequity or equity within racial groups.” Thus, it is the responsibility of those in policymaking arenas to determine which kinds of policy they are creating or endorsing through their actions or inactions– will they support and advance a more equitable outcome or continue to exclude and marginalize.

Common Spark’s Energy (in)Equity Training

Drawing from Common Spark’s own experiences, Energy (in)Equity offers practical ways of how we can begin to do our collective work differently. By applying a racial justice and equity lens to case studies, participants will begin to better see the sources and impacts of inequities in the energy system. Energy (in)Equity participants will gain resources and inspiration to lead through intentional action for a more equitable energy future.  

The Energy (in)Equity training can serve as a starting point or a reminder to how we as individuals can learn and innovate together for a just, clean, and healthy future for all communities. Learn more.

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Trainings

For your Team/Organization

Move from the abstract into application with your team! Common Spark offers a training tailored to your group's needs. Curate a shared learning experience as your team strives for collective accountability.

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Open to the Public

Common Spark hosts periodic trainings open to the public, for anyone to join. Energy (in)Equity is a two-day curated training. Be sure you can attend the whole training when signing up! Subscribe to our Newsletter to hear about the latest trainings!

Upcoming Public Trainings

Coming soon:

Community Engagement Workshop (June 26) and Jemez Principle Workshop (July 17)

Energy (in)Equity Foundations (or 2023 Energy (in)Equity) is a strongly recommended prerequisite prior to workshops

What is the training about? What will participants get out of it?

The training is split between two days. Day 1 will focus on identifying and understanding the sources and impacts of inequities within the energy sector and existing systems. Day 2 will build knowledge, tools, resources, and opportunities to begin working differently and committing individual action to create equitable processes and outcomes.

In this training, participants will:

  • Practice using a racial justice lens to identify inequities and injustices in the energy industry

  • Examine real life examples of energy and environmental policymakers and advocates putting the Jemez Principles into action and how those actions support more equitable outcomes

  • Identify personal next steps and explore anticipated barriers and challenges to integrating equitable practices in your work

Who is it for? 

This training is open to anyone who may be interested, but is particularly geared towards energy advocates and practitioners from any sector (e.g., nonprofit, utilities, and local and state government and agencies).

Are there prerequisites?

Knowledge and competence of racial justice, racial equity, power dynamics, and inclusion is a prerequisite for this training. Common Spark Consulting highly recommends at least the first and second of training offered by Race Forward as a baseline for this understanding.

FAQs