Summary
During the summer of 2017 Front and Centered organized listening sessions among our members across Washington State on solar power. This report shares what we heard.
Communities of color are feeling pressure in our current power system
- Electric bills are increasing
- Pollution and climate change are a present threat
- We are trapped into energy consumption
- There is a lack of access to information and ability shape the energy system
There is excitement about the opportunity to be included in solar power
- Solar power can create access to power in challenging places and self-sufficiency
- It can support us economically through jobs and and lower costs
- We can lower our carbon footprint and get off fossil fuels
- It can be an asset for our community
There is concern about barriers to access and benefits
- We don’t have the information we need to be able to participate in solar or get solar jobs
- Many of us are renters and don’t see what we can do
- The costs of going solar seem like a obstacle
There are things we can do
- Use public incentives for lower income people to participate
- Employ collective buying and ownership structures
- Directly educate and provide assistance in communities
- Inform, train, and prioritize jobs for our communities
- Include solar as part of new buildings
