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A group of people are gathered in an outdoor setting, standing behind a woman with a cast on her right foot who is seated in a wheelchair.
Two men and a woman are sitting at a conference table with microphones in front of them.
A man stands near a tree and is speaking into a megaphone.
The People Justice council logo
A group of people with their fists raised in a gesture of solidarity stand in front of a table.
Two groups of people standing next to each other are posing for a photo.
A group of people surrounds a sign that says "Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument" in an outdoor space.

People’s Justice Council (PJC)

Birmingham, AL

In 2021, Climate Nexus launched an Energy Equity Regranting Project to help resource organizations, tribes, and community leaders on the frontlines of climate change and the impactful work they are doing to fight the gas industry. The energy equity transition grants prioritize grassroots groups with an annual budget of $1 million or less to boost their efforts in racially, ethnically, gender, and culturally diverse communities across the United States and at the intersections of public health and energy justice.

In our first year running the program, nine organizations received grants ranging from $20,000 to $40,000, including the People’s Justice Council, whose work is detailed below. 

Overview

The Alabama Energy Democracy Coalition, led by the People’s Justice Council and Alabama Interfaith Power & Light, seeks to build organizing capacity in targeted electric cooperatives surrounding the Montgomery, Alabama, area to grow the constituency for energy and environmental justice, advocating for clean energy, and reforming democratic processes at electric cooperatives.

Activities

PJC leveraged existing capacity and hired new capacity for organizing in the service territory of Central Alabama Electric Cooperative (CAEC). The organizers were tasked with the following: 

  • Better understanding of the wants and needs of local residents; 
  • Contacting and educating member-owners about their rights as cooperative members; 
  • Activating residents at critical junctures, such as board meetings and annual meetings, to increase the likelihood of success of key reforms;
  • Working with coalition organizations to inform media and communications; and 
  • Recruiting community organizations to join the coalition.

Lessons Learned

The PJC is under no illusions that change will come quickly or easily. Their ultimate intent is to institute changes at CAEC that improve the day-to-day lives of its members and make the cooperative more representative of and responsive to the members it serves. 

Future and Sustainability

PJC is pursuing the creation of energy efficiency programs that are accessible to all residents regardless of income, credit, or home ownership status, the creation of locally-owned renewable energy projects that eliminate the need for extractive fossil fuels, and governance reforms to reflect the cooperative’s membership better.

People of color standing up and posing for a picture, one woman in a wheelchair, for People's Justice Council
Two men and a woman are sitting at a conference table with microphones in front of them.
A group of people surrounds a sign that says "Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument" in an outdoor space.
Two groups of people standing next to each other are posing for a photo.
A group of people with their fists raised in a gesture of solidarity stand in front of a table.
A group of protesters gathered behind signs that read "Biomass = Injustice."
A group of people in winter clothes are gathered around a table at a restaurant.
A group of people are sitting in an indoor classroom while holding laptops. A man gestures with his finger as he speaks.
A man stands near a tree and is speaking into a megaphone.
Learn More

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