Spark Northwest is co-leading the Clean Energy Ambassadors coalition – a group of place-based and nonprofit organizations dedicated to ensuring that overburdened, rural, and Tribal communities have the opportunity to define, design and implement their own clean energy visions. See our coalition members in the picture above.
We are advocating for the inclusion of $10M for the Ambassador program in the 2024 state budget. With the short legislative session underway, the program has been included in the first drafts of the House & Senate operating budget bills, and we have had many good conversations with climate champions such as Representative Debra Lekanoff and Senator Joe Nguyen.
The coalition is drawing inspiration from several existing state programs, including the Energy Trust of Oregon’s Solar Ambassador pilot program, which has helped to raise awareness of the benefits of solar energy among communities of color in the Portland area.
A just transition must ensure that benefits of clean energy reach frontline communities.
