Environmental Justice within Renewable Energy Development

August 8-9, 2024 | Online :: Central Time

0824-environmental-justice

By incorporating principles of fairness, inclusivity, and community engagement, environmental justice seeks to mitigate social, economic, and environmental disparities while promoting the transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy future for everyone.

This conference is dedicated to exploring actionable strategies for promoting equity in renewable energy development. Discussions will delve into the complexities of renewable energy projects, highlighting best practices, addressing challenges, exploring strategies for community engagement, policy innovation, and fostering partnerships for positive change.

Learning Outcomes

• Review the concept of Just Transitions and its importance in mitigating inequities and inequalities
• Explore practical examples on how companies can define and operationalize ESJ policies
• Gain insights into the implementation, guidance, and tools available to support the Justice40 Initiative
• Review tools and criteria to maximize community co-benefits
• Explore current environmental justice requirements and how community benefit plans can influence the landscape
• Uncover innovative business models that prioritize equity and explore how entrepreneurship can advance environmental justice
• Discuss practical tools and strategies for sustainable business to support equitable workforce development
• Explore case studies and real-world examples of successful efforts to achieve environmental justice in renewable energy development
• Discuss the importance of centering equity and justice in renewable energy transitions

Thursday, August 8, 2024 : Central Time

9:00 – 9:05 a.m. :: Overview and Instructions

9:05 – 10:00 a.m. :: Equity, Energy and Just Transitions

The urgency, emergency, and necessity of low-carbon transitions is a given in most regions of the world. But low-carbon innovations, technologies, practices, and policies can unintentionally exacerbate a series of inequities and inequalities with energy production and use. This presentation introduces conceptions of Just Transitions and energy justice as a way to remediate these concerns. It utilizes a novel framework looking at demographic inequities (between groups), spatial inequities (across geographic scales), interspecies inequities (between humans and non-humans), and temporal inequities (across present and future generations). This framework enables not only the identifications of multiple and often interlinked inequities; it also points the way towards how to make low-carbon transitions more sustainable and just, with direct implications for business practices (and supply chains) as well as energy and climate policy.

Benjamin K. Sovacool, Professor of Earth and Environment, Boston University

10:00 – 10:45 a.m. :: Environmental & Social Justice and Just Transition: Two Sides of One Coin

Environmental & Social Justice (ESJ) and Just Transition are inextricably linked. This presentation will provide an overview of how American Electric Power (AEP) is addressing both topics in actionable ways. This discussion will cover how AEP defines ESJ and will showcase examples of ESJ in action to benefit historically disadvantaged communities. The presentation will also describe AEP’s journey to operationalize its new ESJ policy, introduced in 2022 to formalize the company’s commitment to consider the environmental and social impacts of activities ranging from plant decommissioning to renewable energy development. In addition, the discussion will explore AEP’s approach to ensuring a Just Transition and showcase an example of Just Transition in action. Attendees will gain insights on ways to intentionally put ESJ and Just Transition into practice to meet communities where they are and maximize benefits for the most vulnerable among us.

Dr. YaVonda M. Ulfig (Vonda), Manager of Energy Transition & Sustainability, American Electric Power (AEP)

10:45 – 11:00 a.m. :: Morning Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. :: Justice40 Initiative, the Goals and Objectives

The Justice40 Initiative represents a historic commitment to environmental justice, aiming to create positive change in communities that have long faced inequities and ecological challenges. This presentation will cover the following topics related to Justice40:

• Objective of Justice40
• Investment categories
• Climate change
• Clean energy and energy efficiency
• Clean transit
• Affordable and sustainable housing
• Training and workforce development
• Remediation and reduction of legacy pollution
• Clean water and wastewater infrastructure
• Implementation
• Guidance and tools

Jean Nelson-Houpert, Chief Financial Officer, Volt Energy Utility, LLC

12:00 – 12:45 p.m. :: Lunch Break

12:45 – 1:45 p.m. :: A Toolkit to Maximize Community Co-Benefits through Clean Energy Projects

Not all clean energy is created equal. In partnership with influential clean energy buyers and developers, the Beyond the Megawatt initiative developed an actionable toolkit to support organizations evaluate and identify energy projects and partners that optimize environmental sustainability, social equity, and resilience. This presentation will focus on the social criteria embedded in the toolkit, including:

• Impactful siting
• Stakeholder engagement
• Community co-benefits
• Equitable workforce development
• Supplier diversity
• Human right due diligence

Sofia Mongeon, Associate – Beyond the Megawatt, Clean Energy Buyers Alliance

1:45 – 2:15 p.m. :: Environmental Justice and Community Benefit Planning for Diversified Energy Projects

This presentation will focus on the current state of Environmental Justice requirements and how Community Benefit Plans required by IRA/BIL funding may change that landscape.

Renee Hoyos, Principal Consultant – Environmental Justice and Impact Assessment, ERM

2:15 – 2:30 p.m. :: Afternoon Break

2:30 – 3:00 p.m. :: A Better Buildout: Prioritizing Climate, Conservation and Communities

This presentation will focus on state level policy action in Colorado to develop and advance smart siting policy that will work to ensure the state can accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies while centering conservation and community values in the process.

Severiano DeSoto, Policy Advisor, Western Resource Advocates

3:00 – 4:00 p.m. :: Entrepreneurship as Environmental Justice: How to Transform Inclusive Site Selection into an Economic Powerhouse

Entrepreneurship is a powerful tool for advancing environmental justice, particularly in the context of renewable energy site selection. This presentation will explore how inclusive approaches to selecting sites for solar projects can serve as catalysts for local economic development, particularly in underserved communities. It will discuss innovative business models that prioritize equity and community participation, turning renewable energy projects into economic engines that empower local populations. Attendees will learn how embracing principles of environmental justice in entrepreneurship can lead to more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous communities.

Saxon Metzger, MBA, PMP, Graduate Professor of Sustainable Business, Eighth Generation Consulting, LLC

Friday, August 9, 2024 : Central Time

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. :: Protecting our Future: Tools for Sustainable Businesses to Support Equitable Workforce Development

Sustainable businesses play a pivotal role in building a just and equitable future, especially through workforce development. This presentation will highlight practical tools and strategies that businesses can employ to support equitable workforce initiatives, focusing on inclusivity, diversity, and empowerment in the renewable energy sector. It will showcase examples of organizations that have successfully implemented programs leading to meaningful employment opportunities, particularly for marginalized communities, thereby contributing to economic resilience and environmental sustainability. Participants will leave with actionable insights into creating workforce development programs that not only meet sustainability goals but also foster social equity.

Saxon Metzger, MBA, PMP, Graduate Professor of Sustainable Business, Eighth Generation Consulting, LLC

10:00 – 11:00 a.m. :: Case Study: Empowering Communities: The South Fork Wind Farm’s Role in Shaping a Sustainable Future

The South Fork Wind Farm, New York’s first offshore wind farm opened in December, 2023. This session will delve into the transformative impact of renewable energy siting on disadvantages communities, with a focus on Brentwood, New York. Attendees will gain insights into how the new and historic wind farm not only harnesses the power of nature to generate clean energy, but also fosters socio-economic growth by creating job opportunities and educational pathways for historically disadvantaged communities. Brentwood’s new state-of-the-art offshore wind training facility exemplifies how renewable energy projects can serve as catalysts for community empowerment and environmental stewardship. This presentation will explore the multifaceted benefits of the South Fork Wind Farm, from reducing carbon footprints to enhancing local economies and beyond.

Ahmad Perez, Founder – District 1 Youth Advisory Board, White House Appointee – Biden-Harris Administration

11:00 – 11:15 a.m. :: Morning Break

11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. :: Case Study: Dominion Energy’s Approach to Environmental Justice and an Electric Transmission Case Study

In 2018, Dominion Energy adopted an environmental justice policy and hired dedicated EJ staff. Since then, Dominion has established an EJ Review process, which it applies to all major projects, to help identify any potential EJ communities at an early stage in project development and ensure a public outreach plan is designed with enhanced measures in place to encourage meaningful involvement of all people. This session will introduce Dominion’s review process and discuss an electric transmission project case study.

Kathryn MacCormick, Supervisor – Environmental Justice, Dominion Energy Services, Inc.

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. :: Case Study: Indigenous Communities and Decommissioning: Understanding the End of the Renewables Lifecycle to Optimize Siting for Tribes

This presentation will discuss the critical considerations for Indigenous communities at the closure of renewable energy projects. It will emphasize the importance of early engagement and collaboration between tribes and project developers to ensure that solar decommissioning aligns with the sustainable use tribal lands and the incorporation of cultural values into each project. By examining case studies where tribes have successfully navigated the end-of-life phase of renewable projects, this session aims to offer strategies to optimize site selection, enhancing environmental protection, and ensuring that decommissioning processes respect Indigenous rights and territories, fostering long-term sustainability and community benefits.

Saxon Metzger, MBA, PMP, Graduate Professor of Sustainable Business, Eighth Generation Consulting, LLC

Severiano DeSoto, Policy Advisor, Western Resource Advocates

Severiano is responsible for developing policy to help minimize conflict between Western Resource Advocate’s (WRA) dual goals of protecting at least 50% of land in all ecoregions while simultaneously building new clean energy projects necessary to achieve our goal for cutting carbon emissions from the region’s power sector to 60% below 2016 levels by 2030. His role is focused on developing and advocating for comprehensive siting policy reform. Severiano joined WRA in 2021 as a Clean Energy Policy Fellow.

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Renee Hoyos, Principal Consultant – Environmental Justice and Impact Assessment, ERM

Renee Hoyos has more than 2 years of experience building, shaping, and managing operations of a statewide not-for-profit organization (Tennessee Clean Water Network) and implementing and enforcing federal environmental laws and policies. Recently, she created the first Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) at the Virginia DEQ. In this role, she both improved external relationships between EJ communities, Virgina Tribal Nations and the DEQ, and brough VA EJScreen+ to life, as well as writing the first state Tribal Consultation Guidance. At ERM, Renee serves as a Subject Matter Expert on Environmental Justice and Community Benefits Plans. She has worked in many different business sectors helping clients establish community benefits programs and working with environmental justice communities.

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Kathryn MacCormick, Supervisor – Environmental Justice, Dominion Energy Services, Inc.

Kathryn (Katie) MacCormick is Supervisor of the Environmental Justice team for Dominion Energy; since coming onboard as the first dedicated EJ employee for the company in 2019 she has implemented environmental justice reviews for over 250 major projects and trained over 1,000 employees on environmental justice and tribal engagement. Educated as a biologist with spatial modeling expertise, Katie is also an enrolled member of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe of Virginia. Her advocacy for Virginia’s Native American communities includes representing the Pamunkey Tribe on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Body for the Ocean from the 2015-2017, service on the Virginia Health Commissioner’s Advisory Council on Health Disparity & Health Equity from 2016-2019, and an appointment to the Virginia Council for Environmental Justice from 2020-2023.

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Saxon Metzger, MBA, PMP, Graduate Professor of Sustainable Business, Eighth Generation Consulting, LLC

Saxon Metzger is the founder of Eighth Generation Consulting and has worked in the field of sustainability for a decade providing everything from business and project development to project estimation and management services for sustainability and renewable energy projects. His work as the primary author of the City of Carbondale’s historic Sustainability Plan was highlighted by the United Nations at COP15 Biodiversity for its innovative approach to facilitating cross-sector collaboration. Utilizing his professional experience in conjunction with his role as a professor of graduate level sustainable business courses, Saxon uses his experience to work on pioneering in the solar decommissioning and end-of-life space, being awarded an Under 30 in Energy Award in 2023 for these efforts. Saxon, a member of the Osage Nation, has incorporated community benefits for indigenous communities as a primary component of his life’s work, helping provide management and community benefit input alike for state and federal grant applications.

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Sofia Mongeon, Associate – Beyond the Megawatt, Clean Energy Buyers Alliance

Sofia serves as an associate on the CEBA Beyond the Megawatt team, with 5+ years of experience in the clean energy sector across topics such as policy, innovation, sector education, and most recently the just energy transition. In her current role she focuses on engaging and educating a diverse set of clean energy industry experts on tools and practices that help support integration of equity, resilience, and environmental sustainability into their clean energy work. Sofia has supported the creation of tools like The BTM Toolkit, The Principles for Purpose Driven Clean Energy Procurement, and the BTM Business Case. Most recently her work has centered around the challenge of creating quantifiable co-benefits metrics, facilitating complex discussions, and working creatively to make clean energy resources more inclusive. Sofia graduated from American University with a dual degree in Business Administration and Environmental Studies, specializing in sustainable business practices.

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Jean Nelson-Houpert, Chief Financial Officer, Volt Energy Utility, LLC

Jean Nelson-Houpert is the Chief Financial Officer of Volt Energy Utility, a minority owned utility scale developer in Washington DC. She manages the company’s financial matters.

Jean is responsible for Volt’s financial and operational growth and provides guidance and counsel on all matters relating to operations, strategic business planning, budgeting, and forecasting. Additionally, Jean volunteers financial counsel to the Sharing the Power Foundation, a non-profit founded by Volt to support organizations that provide services to urban and rural communities disproportionally affected by climate change, air and water pollution, and inaccessibility to renewable energy opportunities.

Jean has over 25 years of experience in finance, public and corporate accounting. She spent three years as the inaugural Chief Financial Officer and Interim CEO at the DC Green Bank, leading the organization from inception until September 2023. Jean directed the bank’s accounting and financing functions lending over $30 million for green energy projects in the District of Columbia. She began her career in public accounting as a financial institution specialist with Grant Thornton, LLP, and served in corporate positions as director of accounting and chief financial officer at various organizations.

Jean received her BBA in Finance, graduating cum laude from the Temple University Fox School of Business, and acquired a Master of Jurisprudence in Labor and Employment from Tulane University. She also holds a certification from Columbia Business School in ESG Investing and a certificate in Sustainable Management.

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Ahmad Perez, Founder – District 1 Youth Advisory Board, White House Appointee – Biden-Harris Administration

Ahmad Perez is a Brentwood, New York native and at the age of 22, he is one of the youngest White House Appointees in the Biden-Harris Administration, serving as the Special Assistant for Implementation and Climate Justice at the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Ahmad is supporting the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate and energy in our country’s history.

Ahmad is a proud community advocate whose work centers on environmental justice and elevating the voices of marginalized groups. Ahmad was recently named Youth Gifted & Green’s 40 Under 40 by BlackMillenials4Flint, and has worked on advancing environmental justice at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Ahmad found and led the District 1 Youth Advisory Board, a community group focused on uplifting the voices of disadvantaged youth in Brentwood, Central Islip, and North Bay Shore on Long Island. Ahmad also recently founded Brentwood Votes, an initiative focused on increasing voter registration and turnout in Brentwood, NY.

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Benjamin K. Sovacool, Professor of Earth and Environment, Boston University

Dr. Benjamin K. Sovacool is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University in the United States, where he is the Founding Director of the Institute for Global Sustainability. He was formerly Director of the Sussex Energy Group at the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the university of Sussex Business School in the United Kingdom, and Director of the Center for Energy Technologies and University Distinguished Professor of Business & Social Sciences at Aarhus University in Denmark.

Professor Sovacool works as a researcher and consultant on issues pertaining to energy policy, energy justice, energy security, climate change mitigation, and climate change adaption. More specifically, his research focuses on renewable energy and energy efficiency, the politics of large-scale energy infrastructure, the ethics and morality of energy decisions, designing public policy to improve energy security and access to electricity, and building adaptive capacity to the consequences of climate change.

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Dr. YaVonda M. Ulfig (Vonda), Manager of Energy Transition & Sustainability, American Electric Power (AEP)

YaVonda M Ulfig (Vonda) is the Energy Transition & Sustainability Manager for American Electric Power (AEP), where she leads the company’s efforts to advance Environmental & Social Justice (ESJ) and Just Transition. Ulfig previously led efforts to educate, engage and advocate with internal and external stakeholders about the value and benefits of the company’s transmission investment. Prior to that role, Ulfig supported a multi-regional project outreach team focused on developing proactive strategies to educate and engage with landowners, public officials and communities to gain support and acceptance of electric transmission projects. Ulfig’s other prior roles include serving as part of the AEP’s human resources team, where she supported leadership and organizational development initiatives, in addition to diversity and inclusion outreach efforts. She also has worked as part of AEP’s media relations group, where she supported strategies related to the company’s external communication needs. Ulfig began her AEP career in 2009, supporting external and internal communications for AEP subsidiary Indiana Michigan Power. Prior to joining AEP, Ulfig was a journalist for the South Bend Tribune, where she covered business and consumer news.

Ulfig earned her Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from Walden University in 2019 and her Master of Science in Management (MSM) from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2012. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism at Ball State University in 2006. Ulfig currently resides in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Mark, and their two children.

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If you are unable to attend at the scheduled date and time, we make recordings available to all attendees for 7 days after the event

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT:

Environmental Justice within Renewable Energy Development

August 8-9, 2024 | Online

Your registration may be transferred to a member of your organization up to 24 hours in advance of the event. Cancellations must be received on or before July 05, 2024 in order to be refunded and will be subject to a US $195.00 processing fee per registrant. No refunds will be made after this date. Cancellations received after this date will create a credit of the tuition (less processing fee) good toward any other EUCI event. This credit will be good for six months from the cancellation date. In the event of non-attendance, all registration fees will be forfeited. In case of conference cancellation, EUCIs liability is limited to refund of the event registration fee only. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as complaints and refunds, please contact our offices at 303-770-8800

Credits

EUCI is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 1.0 CEUs for this event.

Verify our IACET accreditation

Who recognizes IACET Credits?

Requirements for Successful Completion of Program

Participants must long on and be in attendance for the entirety of the course to be eligible for continuing education credit.

Instructional Methods

Power Point presentations, open discussion and Q&A

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Upon successful completion of this event, program participants interested in receiving CPE credits will receive a certificate of completion.

Course CPE Credits: 12.0
There is no prerequisite for this Course.
Program field of study: Specialized Knowledge
Program Level: Basic
Delivery Method: Group Internet Based
Advanced Preparation: None

EUCI is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its web site: www.nasbaregistry.org