Vital Energy Educational Gatherings
Completed
Challenge
Most members of the public have little awareness of the Public Utilities Commission and how we access and control our utilities. There is a need to educate the community more deeply about the system we collectively fund, which is an important step toward achieving energy justice.
Impact Goal
Gather information around the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, a relatively hidden governing body, and express and disseminate this information through a locally-produced graphic novel.
Funding
Partner Organization(s)
Project Lead
Department of Chicano & Latino Studies
Using Art to Understand Our Energy System
Most everyone in the United States is an energy user. However, many don’t fully understand their position within the energy system.
For the first time in Minnesota, this team approached the energy system through an artistic lens that is rooted in community relations. This project aimed to raise awareness and begin conversations in the community about the ways that our utilities impact us all and the tools we have to access and control our utilities.
The better that people understand how our utility system works, the bigger impact they can have on the energy system.
Outcomes
- Created a virtual graphic novel titled “Power Surge,” which was designed as a community-friendly access point to understanding the complexities and realities of our local energy system
- Held regular meetings and collaborative art and story composition sessions between local artists and energy and housing justice organizers
- Showcased how effective a collaboration amongst artists and community organizers can be, as the collaborative process enriched both the artistic side and the organizing side to deepen our local cohesion around energy justice
Meet the Project Team
Project Lead
Additional Team Members
Project Status
Last Updated
Aug 05, 2026
Impact Location
Minneapolis