Details
September 18, 2024
11:00AM - 12:00PM
Energy Justice Through Utility-Sponsored Community Solar in Michigan — What is Possible?
Virtual
Register today for upcoming Catalyst Communities webinars
The Catalyst Communities Initiative is a comprehensive program to provide education, training, planning, and technical resources to local governments as they work toward their sustainability goals. This initiative offers an array of resources on various environmental, social, and economic topics to help communities across Michigan make a just transition to decarbonization and meet our MI Healthy Climate Plan goals. The initiative aims to provide a range of resource options to meet communities wherever they are, regardless of geography, population size, or pre-existing knowledge. The Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), Catalyst Communities Initiative is hosting this webinar series free to communities.
Is true "community" solar possible in Michigan without legislation enabling third-party ownership? Are utility-sponsored community solar models capable of delivering energy just outcomes to low-to-moderate income (LMI) households? In this webinar, we will help you answer these questions using a case example. In 2019, the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy partnered with the Village of L'Anse and WPPI Energy to create an LMI community solar program. Karl Hoesch, doctoral candidate at the University of Michigan, School for Environment and Sustainability, will share his evaluation of the energy justice outcomes of that program. He will discuss the outcomes of this Clean Energy for Low Income Communities Accelerator project, share what worked in L'Anse from the perspective of participating residents, and offer insights about what best practices might be replicated using newly available federal resources. Local government officials and employees, small and medium sized businesses, and nonprofits could all benefit from joining EGLE for this insightful webinar.
