Jahi Wise

The @American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s 2024 City Clean Energy Scorecard came out this week! This scorecard ranks 75 of the largest U.S. cities on energy efficiency and reducing GHG emissions and identifies the best-performing cities, the most improved, and those with substantial room for improvement, with recommendations for making progress. This year, the top three cities are: 1. #SanFrancisco 2. #Denver 3. #Seattle Find out what they did to earn the top spots and where your city ranks⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eUEdqyqf 

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We've just finalized this great resource of the state benefits of switching to #EVs in each state and in DC. Take a look to learn about the #climate and money savings, increases in charging coverage, #publichealth and job benefits of investing in EVs, and how practical they can be for most driving. Take a look and be sure to share with friends and family. This takes on a lot of the myths and concerns that are often shared on EVs and highlights facts on why we're working hard on this transition. https://lnkd.in/eWsQ7jDN

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It’s been such a privilege to help research, design, and release the latest report from Alliance for Entrepreneurial Equity: The State of Black Business. This is a foundational report for our joint initiative between Third Way & National Urban League. We dove into publicly-available data from the Federal Reserve, US Census Bureau, and other various sources to focus on Black-owned employer businesses with at least two employees. And we took an expansive look at their attributes, performance, and challenges. The State of Black Business uncovers a dozen insights that illustrate significant disparities in access to capital, market opportunities, and resources. For example, we found that Black-owned businesses are: * Growing…Slowly: Seeing year-over-year growth but are still drastically underrepresented. * Small: 97% have less than 20 employees, and 3-in-4 have fewer than five employees. *Young: Likely to have been in existence under two years. *Flying under $100k: Taking in less revenue than other businesses. *Often Shut Out of Financing: Far more likely to experience pervasive barriers to accessing capital. *Infrequent Contract Recipients: Inadequately represented among government contract awardees. Report can be found here: https://lnkd.in/e588SMwS It’s been wonderful working with Imani Augustus Rachel Evans Madeline Burke Stephanie DeVane Tara Murray Dennis G. Serrette on this vital research.

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The clean energy transition will not be just OR successful if elected officials continue to boost fossil fuel development under the guise of “permitting reform”. ODI is joining 360+ climate and environmental organizations nationwide to urge the Senate to reject a permitting reform bill riddled with giveaways to oil and gas, including fast-tracking LNG export approvals, overhauling bedrock environmental laws, and rolling back commonsense oil and gas reforms. When it comes to the ocean, the bill 🚩🚩🚩mandates annual offshore oil and gas lease sales of at least 60 million acres🚩🚩🚩 and undermines protections for the critically endangered Rice’s whale. No one describes it more clearly than House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl Grijalva: “I’ve said it enough times, but it clearly bears repeating that checking off wish lists for oil, gas, and mining companies is not permitting reform.” We can–and must–move forward with building clean energy infrastructure the right way. The Manchin/Barrasso bill is not it. We want #OceanClimateAction that is consistent with US climate goals, including the landmark deal reached at COP28 to transition AWAY from fossil fuels. https://lnkd.in/gcpmeeVD

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🌞 ATTN: Nonprofits, Schools (K-12 and beyond) and State and Local Governments. Interested in going Solar? 🌞 The U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) proudly launches the American-Made Data-Driven Distributed (3D) Solar Visibility Prize. This new prize encourages innovators to create tools that deliver real-time, accurate insights on solar energy distribution within electric power networks. 🔍 Why is this important? Access to real-time data empowers utilities and grid operators to optimize solar energy use, enhancing grid reliability and efficiency. 🏆 What’s in it for participants? Contestants will use DOE data to develop tools, testing their algorithms over two weeks on the OEDI SI platform, with top teams winning a share of $175,000 in cash prizes! 📅 Mark your calendars - Applications are due by July 10. Informational webinar May 29 at 3pm 👥 Who can apply? Open to U.S.-based for-profit and nonprofit entities, academic institutions, and government bodies, including states and municipalities. Let’s innovate for a sustainable future! #SolarEnergy #Innovation #DOE #3DSolarVisibilityPrize #SustainableFuture 🔗 [Learn more about the prize and how to apply] https://lnkd.in/eJh4r2BQ

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Households in disadvantaged and low-income communities across the United States are disproportionately affected by the impacts of unaffordable housing and energy bills, unsafe or unhealthy housing conditions, and climate change. The new R2E2 Playbook highlights dozens of strategies and examples to help program administrators establish residential energy retrofit initiatives that are community-led, easy-to-use, and able to achieve benefits like healthier and more affordable housing, reduced energy burdens, new economic opportunities for workers and small business owners, and reduced pollution. Please join Residential Retrofits for Energy Equity (R2E2) on June 26 at 2 p.m. ET as we launch the R2E2 Playbook, a tool for program administrators seeking to establish, improve, or expand building energy upgrade programs for low- and moderate-income housing. https://lnkd.in/djJc4Td3

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What an amazing bunch of heroes I’ve met at #climateweeknyc2024! Here’s my question: is “blended finance” a key to accelerating the transition to regenerative, resilient, equitable communities, and neighborhoods? As CEO of Now City and Chairman of Now City Communities, I’m beginning to understand the immense potential of blending traditional finance with mission-aligned capital as we embark on the development of a walkable green mixed-use urban neighborhood masterplan in California, with the intention to scale and have impact far beyond my beloved home state. But this approach seems to not be well understood and is still underutilized despite its power to de-risk projects that many traditional investors view as too risky. Blended finance strategically uses public and/or philanthropic capital to attract private investors, unlocking funding for projects that might otherwise struggle to get off the ground. But the market remains small and there’s a real need for more accessible intermediation platforms that can connect private financiers with impactful projects. At Now City, we want to work with aligned partners to leverage (and to facilitate the industry’s adoption of) blended finance to build communities that are not just financially viable but also resilient, regenerative, and equitable. It’s a potential game-changer for urban development, but we need more players at the table to scale these efforts. So, I invite you—sustainability leaders, investors, philanthropists, and urban innovators—to share your thoughts, examples, and experiences with blended finance in the comments. How have you seen it work? Where are the opportunities? What challenges still need to be overcome? Who can we pull into this conversation that will move the needle? Let’s collaborate and push the boundaries of what's possible in sustainable urban development. Together, we can redefine the future of our cities and co-create the conditions for people and ecosystems to thrive! #SustainableFinance #UrbanDevelopment #BlendedFinance #ImpactInvesting #ResilientCommunities https://lnkd.in/grJ76HTT

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New blog! Federal energy and environmental policy has become increasingly "place-based," addressing energy and environmental justice issues through grants, tax credits, etc. But are these "place-based" policies targeting the right places? TL;DR: No. We look at 4 recent programs: Justice40, Energy Communities, Disadvantaged Communities, and Environmental and Climate Justice communities. Together, these programs cover a whopping 79% of US land mass and 64% of the population. How we got here is complicated (we share details in the piece) but some of the outcomes are absurd. For example, Times Square qualifies for Justice40. Most of Orange County, CA—including Disneyland—qualifies as an “energy community,” while most of the Permian basin doesn't. Much of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Berkeley, California—affluent cities with a large college-age population—qualify as low-income communities due to low income levels, likely because most students earn little or no income. Along with flawed targeting, programs don't offer the things that communities need. If you qualify for J40 because of air pollution, the benefits offered don't necessarily do anything to address air pollution. If you're an energy community, solar and wind projects are incentivized. But struggling energy communities often have much more pressing issues like plunging tax revenues or substandard housing. Are place-based policies inherently flawed? Of course not! But if we're going to use them to try and address our many energy and environmental challenges, let's do a better job targeting the right resources to the right places. https://lnkd.in/gGnccZVk

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New map released by Dept. of Energy shows where investments are flowing so communities can be alert to opportunities for community benefits plans and agreements. "This Community Benefits Map for Demonstration and Deployment Projects is a tool that local communities can use to better understand what DOE-supported projects are being developed in their areas. This will allow local community members and other leaders to engage more effectively with the project, ultimately creating stronger and more specific benefits and building long-term project support." https://lnkd.in/eHPd7353

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State and local governments are at the forefront of addressing income inequality, housing instability, and climate change. By leading a movement of evidence building, they can create equitable programs that support economic mobility for generations. With $350B from the 2021 American Rescue Plan, governments have until the end of this year to decide how to spend remaining funds. Now is the time to use this funding to set up evaluations of key ARP programs and policies to solidify knowledge of what works. Thanks to my colleagues Carrie S. Cihak and Louise Geraghty for cowriting this piece with me. We all agree that by embedding evaluation in their work, governments invest in knowledge to best support their communities. Let's seize this historic opportunity to maximize ARP funding impact and build a stronger, more equitable future. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/egt3Fh4Q #PublicPolicy #EconomicMobility #ClimateAction #ARPA #Evaluation

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Hello Everyone, this essay I wrote for Mediators Foundation shares how we must invest in our communities and states through civic action that builds civic capacity, solves problems most important to people of diverse perspectives, and strengthens accountability between the people and elected officials. Thanks for checking it out! If you want to get involved with our initiative, Better Together America, let me know! https://lnkd.in/gGCjJYjh

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I know so many are feeling the push and pull of this historic election. You may be wanting to tune in but also deeply skeptical of how your political choices will impact your *actual* life.  Today Working Families Party is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for President. And we’re doing this in order to advance our work building a future where everyone can thrive. Let’s be real: building that future gets much harder if the  MAGA authoritarians win control over our government.  So I have a few questions for you:  Are you feeling the history of this moment but you’ve never gotten involved in elections before? Are you concerned about issues like climate change, public safety, the Netanyahu regime’s war crimes & slaughter of civilians in Gaza, and also recognize we need to stop fascism here at home through this election? Are you a principled person who doesn’t identify with the Democratic or Republican Parties, but you understand how electoral math works and want to make sure MAGA is defeated? Do you believe VP Kamala Harris doesn’t deserve misinformation or lies but should sustain critique and accountability?  Then Working Families Party is your home. This is a place where, with your full chest you can know you’re on the side of justice with your vote in November and feel your power. Join us: https://lnkd.in/d6cuic98

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Worried about how we will decarbonize the grid and ensure rate payers aren’t carrying a disproportionate burden? Learn more and provide input at one of two public listening session!

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I have a question for The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) why is the scorecard recommending that Boston:   1)Work with utilities to formalize partnerships with community-based organizations (Boston is involved in the Mass Save Community First Partnership, a formal arrangement that encompasses other community initiatives. So, why this recommendation?) 2)Update the zoning code to facilitate location-efficient development. (Affordable housing developers and operators may not prioritize electric vehicles, but clean energy public transportation, especially in cities like Boston, is a wise choice. Community electric vehicle car-sharing programs are also beneficial for affordable housing, and Boston already has one in place. Boston has a housing crisis and needs zoning that produces and preserves housing) Otherwise, the scorecard is great! https://lnkd.in/epXmvWae #AJustTransition

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ICYMI:  📢 Exciting News for K-12 schools! The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) just announced selections for the 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize and Grant. This competitive award, made possible through the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), will invest $190 million in K-12 schools across the country to support energy improvements that combat extreme heat, improve air quality, reduce energy costs, lower emissions, and foster healthier learning environments. Twenty-one prize winners will receive $300,000 in cash prizes for identifying a portfolio of school facilities with compelling need for improvement, building dynamic teams, and outlining processes for planning and designing improvements. Sixteen of these prize winners have been invited to enter cooperative agreements with DOE for awards ranging from $7.5 to $15 million.  Interest in the 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize and Grant was diverse and indicative of wide-spread need. In their applications, 367 LEAs across 42 states, 2 territories, and the District of Columbia identified need at 2,165 facilities, with proposed project investments totaling $1.86 billion. To better meet this need, DOE increased its commitment from $180 million to $190 million, with funding directly benefitting 123,573 students and 9,127 teachers in 320 school facilities around the country. Visit the Renew America’s Schools website to learn more about the program and past funding opportunities. Read more about this initiative here! #RenewAmericasSchools #EnergyEfficiency #Schools #DOE #SCEP 

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Check out this important workshop series on #equitable #house #upgrades from ENERGY STAR and The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) #R2E2 initiative. https://lnkd.in/ePYgRwVF

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Kudos to all involved at FEMA on today's release of the FY23 pre-disaster mitigation grants under the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. As I wrote back in October 2023 when the Notice of Funding Opportunity was released, the Agency is literally putting its money where its mouth is regarding the importance of modern building codes; the Building Code Plus Up provided vital resources for every state, territory, and Federally-recognized tribal nation to make meaningful investments in codes-related initiatives. FEMA selected 129 building code-related subapplications -- totaling $55.7 million -- to support recipients to adopt and enforce hazard-resistant building codes. For comparison, across FY20-22, BRIC only received 49 subapplications for code-related activities. With the new Building Code Plus Up for FY23, BRIC received 137 building code subapplications (an 180% increase in building code subapplications submitted)!!! #BRIC #resilience #mitigation #buildingcodes #construction #architecture #engineering #disasters

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Clean energy and energy affordability (and more) on the ballot in these 10 states where utility regulators are elected. Thanks to Canary Media and Julian Spector for the coverage! https://vist.ly/3mkjwhx

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