Energy Democracy Action Toolkit
A Guide for Taking Back Power
Every day, we see the realities of the fossil fuel economy: energy costs are spiraling out of control, power outages are a new normal, and toxic pollution from power plants threatens public health more than ever.
This is no accident. Power hungry corporations — the oil and gas industry, utility companies, AI data centers and others — have hijacked our government and are working to dismantle our democracy to ensure they won’t be accountable.
There is a way out of this cycle of corporate greed, pollution and corruption: it’s called Energy Democracy. We invite you to use our Energy Democracy Action Toolkit to learn how Energy Democracy can transform not only the kind of energy we use, but also who controls it and who benefits from it.
Sign up for your free toolkit to learn how Energy Democracy is transforming communities and how you can take back power.
Energy Democracy is a framework for transitioning beyond the current energy system, rooted in fossil fuels and corporate control, toward locally owned, community-managed resources.
Take Back Power
Sign Up for Your Free Energy Democracy Action Toolkit
The Energy Democracy Action Toolkit is your guide for taking back power! Sign up for your free Ten Principles for Energy Democracy poster, State Action Toolkits, Advancing Energy Democracy Report and more.
While supplies last, we are sending out free Ten Principles for Energy Democracy posters by mail! Everyone who signs up will receive free digital access to all of the resources in this toolkit.
Thank you for signing up!
You now have access to all the resources in the Energy Democracy Action Toolkit. Please download your free resources below. If you requested a free poster, please look out for an email from us letting you know when it has shipped.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
TERMS OF USE: This work is free and available for you to use to spread a message of environmental justice. Please do not alter artwork in any way and or offer them for sale. Do not use or reprint the image in a publication or for commercial or institutional purposes without the permission of Center for Earth, Energy & Democracy (CEED).
Ten Principles for Energy Democracy Poster
Created through a series of interviews with environmental justice and indigenous groups in 2015, the Ten Principles for Energy Democracy weave together the collective wisdom of low-income, Black, Indigenous, and communities of color on the frontlines who are leading the fight for a just and equitable climate future.
Our Ten Principles for Energy Democracy poster brings these principles to life with new art by Lynda Grafito, inspired by each principle and the communities that shaped them. Sign up for your free toolkit, including the Ten Principles for Energy Democracy poster »
Our companion facilitation guides are designed to support organizations in hosting meaningful conversations around energy generation, its impacts on the earth, and the just possibilities that come with the democratization of energy.
The Ten Principles for Energy Democracy were originally compiled by the Center for Earth, Energy & Democracy (CEED) in collaboration with the Climate Justice Alliance (CJA) in 2015. The principles were shaped by interviews with Cooperation Jackson, Communities for a Better Environment, East Michigan Environmental Action Council, Black Mesa Water Coalition, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Movement Generation, Indigenous Environmental Network, and Kentuckians for the Commonwealth.
All of the artwork in the Energy Democracy Action Toolkit was created by Lynda Grafito in collaboration with CEED and the Platform for a Just Climate. You can learn more about Lynda on her website or find her on Instagram at @lyndagrafito.
Energy Democracy State Action Toolkits
Energy Democracy is more than a set of principles: we see it in action in environmental justice communities across the country. The powerful work led by environmental justice partners in New Jersey, Minnesota and Louisiana gives us a glimpse of the just climate futures that are possible when governments prioritize and fund our communities, not corporate polluters.
Louisiana
Minnesota
New Jersey
Each toolkit contains a state-specific PopEd Resource, Facilitation Guide, and Case Study.
Energy Democracy In Louisiana
Advancing Community Power and Energy Democracy in Louisiana
Our Louisiana State Action Toolkit was co-created with the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ), who works in coalition across the Gulf South to advance a just energy future. It includes a case study of New Orleans’ Distributed Energy Resource Program, which promises to prevent outages after hurricanes and heat waves by providing low- and moderate-income residents incentives to host battery storage, reducing health-damaging power plant pollution while also lowering electricity bills.
For press-ready files, download our full toolkit.
Energy Democracy In Minnesota
Defending Minnesota’s 100% Clean Electricity Law Through Energy Democracy
In Minnesota, the 100% Clean Electricity law promised a transition to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 and a major reduction in air pollution from power plants, while creating high quality jobs in environmental justice communities. However, utility companies are using loopholes to classify false solutions, such as burning wood waste or garbage, as carbon-free. In this toolkit, co-created with CURE MN, we learn how, 100% Coalition Partners are fighting to hold the state accountable and pushing back against these false solutions.
For press-ready files, download our full toolkit.
Energy Democracy In New Jersey
Community Energy Access & the Pursuit of Energy Democracy in New Jersey
New Jersey’s Garden State Energy Storage Program makes energy more affordable and reliable while helping New Jersey meet its climate targets. Now environmental justice groups like New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance (NJEJA) are working to ensure that the health, economic and community benefits of the program are realized, not compromised. We co-created this resource with NJEJA to support the ways they engage communities around building a democratic, people-centered energy system.
Poster and Toolkit coming soon!
Report
Advancing Energy Democracy
Community-Driven Strategies for Taking Back Power
Created in collaboration with the Just Solutions Collective, our Advancing Energy Democracy report showcases clean energy policies championed by environmental justice groups in New Jersey, Louisiana and Minnesota. These real-world examples of Energy Democracy in action carry important lessons, and show a glimpse of what’s possible when we invest in community-led solutions.
Advancing Energy Democracy was created in partnership with:
