On Nov. 3, Denver voters approved Measure 2A, which increases the city’s sales tax rate by .25 percent and should generate between $20 and $40 million a year to combat climate change and economic disparity in the Mile High City.

Cooper Martin, director of sustainability and solutions at the National League of Cities, said many cities aren’t waiting for the federal government to act on climate change. New York and Los Angeles enacted sweeping programs to reduce green emissions years ago. Miami is already rebuilding for an era of higher seas. Portland, Ore., taxes big-box retailers for a dedicated climate fund, which Martin said is likely the closest match to the plan recently approved in Denver.

On Nov. 3, Denver voters approved Measure 2A, which increases the city’s sales tax rate by .25 percent and should generate between $20 and $40 million a year to combat climate change and economic disparity in the Mile High City.

Cooper Martin, director of sustainability and solutions at the National League of Cities, said many cities aren’t waiting for the federal government to act on climate change. New York and Los Angeles enacted sweeping programs to reduce green emissions years ago. Miami is already rebuilding for an era of higher seas. Portland, Ore., taxes big-box retailers for a dedicated climate fund, which Martin said is likely the closest match to the plan recently approved in Denver.

“Sunrun’s mission is to create a planet run by the sun,” said Lynn Jurich, Sunrun’s Chief Executive Officer and co-founder. “We’re working with leading non-profit organizations around the country to ensure no one is left behind as we build the clean energy future.”

Businesses like Tesla, Sungevity, and Vivint now sell a variety of solar panel options for consumers. If the initial cost is a barrier, consider "renting" solar panels over time through groups like Mosaic, EnergySage, and SunRun that provide financing arrangements. In lower-income areas, the nonprofit Grid Alternatives is also working to make clean solar energy affordable and accessible to ensure the clean energy revolution is grounded in equity.

Tanksi Clairmont, director of TSAF, announced that 12 tribes have been selected for clean energy solar grants for the next year.

This is the third year for TSAF and it has helped 15 other tribes with solar projects during the last two years. Part of the funding includes solar certification programs at tribal colleges, which can lead to jobs in the solar industry.

Along with the Tanacross Village Council, Solomon is one of the first Alaska Native Tribes to receive funding for solar energy projects through GRID’s Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund (TSAF).

TSAF is a tribal-led initiative that provides new funding to tribes to support their renewable energy projects. This is the third year TSAF has selected grantees, but the first year that Alaska Native communities are recipients in the grant cycle.

Despite the unprecedented action, inequality is not a new or unrecognized problem in the renewables industry. It remains to be seen whether these newest expressions of upset and accompanying initiatives to combat racism within and outside company ranks will continue.

A self-proclaimed nerd, avid reader, and documentary enthusiast growing up, Cureton found inspiration in the pages of inventor and engineer Nikola Tesla’s autobiography. Despite being born worlds away from Tesla—Black and in the home of Black Wall Street—he related to Tesla’s innovative ideas and that he did not fit in with the norm. “A lot of my interests weren’t really mainstream,” Cureton says.

Still, pursuing a career in energy was not on his radar, even with his interest in Tesla. As a teen, Cureton and his friends knew vaguely of solar panels and that they were installed in homes located in more affluent neighborhoods. But, he says, “we were not talking about creating energy businesses or lobbying for particular policies that improve the conditions of our community.”

A 2019 energy use study found that the city of Thornton and the community as a whole spent $89 million on energy bills in 2018. Representatives from Thornton, Adams 12 Five Star School District, United Power, and GRID Alternatives worked in collaboration to define the energy vision, goals and strategies that are customized for Thornton’s community values.

By following a plan, Thornton aims to save more than two-million kWh of electricity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 27,000 conventional vehicles off the road by 2022

What’s clear is that the climate crisis and racism are parts of a larger picture that has prevented us from evolving in the ways we think about energy. We’ve needed to take collective action to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for a long time, and, without it, there have been catastrophic human consequences, especially for communities of color around the world.