Innovations in Energy Breakfast

Today, the Joint Center convened a meeting at its headquarters of energy experts to talk about the future of communities of color. We collected ideas from the experts about major technological shifts in the energy industry over the next decade that may present both challenges and opportunities for communities of color (e.g., cleantech, enhanced grid, smart cities, automation in upstream and downstream segments, big data/analytics).

Based on this conversation and others, the Joint Center will select 3-4 areas in which to produce reports, policy briefs, policy videos, fact sheets, and survey data in 2017. The work will provide an overview about the shift and anticipated challenges (e.g., loss of particular jobs) and opportunities (e.g., new types of jobs, minority contracting opportunities, quality of life improvements) to communities of color. The work will also make recommendations to elected officials and other key stakeholders on steps they should take now to mitigate challenges and maximize opportunities for communities of color. For more details, click here for a summary and 1-minute video of our 2017 plans.