About the Event:

Join experts and advocates from the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment’s Energy Efficiency Cohort in a lively UROC Critical Conversation on energy affordability and access at 3 p.m. Friday, April 14, via Zoom.

Demystifying Our Energy System will tackle the ins and outs of reading utility bills, applying for energy assistance, and accessing affordable energy saving programs and tools, as well as the importance of addressing climate change and building a clean and equitable energy system.

Panelists will also address questions about energy use and equity such as: What policy initiatives are focusing on accessibility? What does a clean and equitable energy future look like? How energy systems are interconnected with our social, political, and cultural systems? How can energy companies connect with communities that haven’t traditionally been a part of the conversation?

The discussion will be moderated by Sidney Stuart, Program Director with the East Side Freedom Library Housing Justice Program, and will be followed by a public Q&A session.

The Panelists from IonE’s Energy Efficiency Cohort:

• Carmen Carruthers, Outreach Director, Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota;

• Metric Giles, Executive Director, Community Stabilization Project;

• Tanessa Lewis, Technical Services Assistant, Research and Knowledge Management, Fredrikson and Byron, P.A.;

• Tabitha Montgomery, Executive Director, Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association; and

• Phitz Nantharath, Public Health Educator, Minnesota Department of Health