Resource Type: Research & Articles

This Juneteenth, we’re reflecting on the legacy of resistance, of community, of vision. The environmental justice movement didn’t begin in policy circles. It began in the streets of our communities. Black communities have long organized to fight for the right to live, breathe, and thrive. Leading movements rooted in care, healing, and collective strength. That fight continues today and so does the passion, power, and determination at its core.

In a poll of several coastal states, voters are increasingly backing offshore wind as energy demand spikes from AI and data centers. When asked why they support offshore wind, voters cite price stabilization (35%), pollution reduction (35%), and energy independence (31%) as key benefits. The findings coincide with growing awareness that sharply rising electricity demand makes it more important than ever to foster viable new sources of electricity

Hart Research conducted a national survey of 1,285 registered voters from June 3-5, 2025. The survey sponsored by Climate Power assesses public reaction to the Republican budget bill’s proposed elimination of clean energy investments and tested what voters want Democrats leaders in Congress to do in response.

To build effective, powerful campaigns capable of winning, we must understand what power our movement and communities have, and what power our opponents have. Join us for an hour training to dive into power mapping 101 – identifying who has power in our constituency, and using power mapping tools to determine what will move decision makers.

The coalition cohort comes out of the learnings from the Blueprint for a Multiracial, Cross-Class Movement, a report on what works – and what doesn’t – in coalition work. The Lab’s indepth guide to building stronger, more equitable coalitions that support coalitions in winning bold climate policy. Drawing from case studies, organizers interviews, the Blueprint Report identified key practices that help coalitions thrive, like shared decision making, mutual accountability and healthy conflict resolutions. It included research backed report and a hands on workbook to support colations navigating internal dynamics across power, race and class.
This spring, the findings from the Blueprint report didn’t just sit on paper, they sparked action. In response to overwhelming interest from the ground, the LAB launched the Coalitions Training Cohort, a 5 month intensive program designed to put the Blueprint into practice. This cohort included leaders from nearly two dozen environmental justice coalitions, clean energy campaigns, local climate tables, and transit equity fights.
From the very beginning, the cohort surfaced the real, often unspoken challenges facing today’s colations. How do we share power without replicating the systems we’re trying to dismantle? How do we move beyond report-outs and disengagement and instead spark meaningful participation? How do we speak honestly, especially when the truth might cause tension? Coalition leaders named what many have felt but rarely had space to share: decision-making processes are often murky, conflict feels risky, and burnout is quietly draining our movement’s capacity. Most striking of all was the collective realization that many coalitions haven’t paused to reflect on how we’re making decisions or why. These questions weren’t just theoretical, they were live challenges shaping coalition life every day. In this newsletter, we’re sharing some of the powerful learnings and reflections we took away from the Coalition cohort.

Power mapping supports organizers in understanding the stakeholders within their campaign. This resource offers step by step instructions and tips for power mapping your campaign.

A dangerous House reconciliation bill puts critical clean energy gains at risk. It proposes deep cuts to renewable energy tax credits, expands fossil fuel infrastructure, and slashes support timelines for federal clean energy projects. These changes threaten to undermine community-owned initiatives, derail national efforts to combat the climate crisis and delay or cancel an estimated $14 billion worth of clean energy developments. But this moment is also a call to action—and communities are answering it.

The United States is one of the largest energy consumers per capita, requiring households to have adequate energy expenditures to keep up with modern demand regardless of financial cost. This paper investigates energy burden, defined as the ratio of household energy expenditures to household income.

Successful public power campaigns need to build strong coalitions, find
a winning message, and use legal and political savvy to overcome utility
opposition.