Groundswell Presents: Energy Futures
In March 2020, Groundswell launched its Energy Futures webinar series in order to create and maintain connections with our partners and communities. This series of free webinars featured speakers on a variety of topics and is now available online

How to think like a futurist in uncertain times

In our series kickoff, American futurist Ari Wallach (@ariw) Founder and Executive Director of Longpath, emphasized that “thinking like a futurist” means understanding that there is not just one predictable future that’s going to happen to us – but rather that there are many possible futures that we can build and shape together.

Decarbonization and the RTOs

Vincent Duane, former Senior Vice President: Law, Compliance & External Relations, PJM presented a fresh vision and led a discussion about the role of the Regional Transmission Organizations that coordinate and monitor multi-state electricity grids in decarbonizing our energy futures. We explored the link between state, corporate, and community renewable energy goals and RTO reform; connections to the electrification of the transportation sector; and the importance of governance. 

From Policy Into Practice: Building Community Power

Bracken Hendricks, Founder of Urban Ingenuity, Co-Founder of Evergreeen, and Co-Author of Apollo's Fire, led us through a discussion of how he built Urban Ingenuity to demonstrate high-level policy ideas through leading-edge projects. Their goals are to support housing affordability, wealth creation, and community resilience through environmentally sustainable infrastructure investments – including the community solar project at Rhode Island Row. 

The Afrofuture of Resiliency

Chandra Farley, Just Energy Director at Partnership for Southern Equity, and Euneika Rogers-Sipp, Groundswell distinguished fellow, led a discussion on Afrofuturism. Afrofuturism imagines a future that values Black lives and social justice through the creative power of Black culture, music, film, literature, and science fiction. It’s also a powerful frame from which we can envision a more equitable energy future that puts the black and brown community and working people first.

Storytelling During a Pandemic

Journalist Molly Taft and Groundswell Director of Communications & Marketing Bartees Cox led a discussion on how NGOs, advocates, and media professionals can create localized, accurate, and inspiring information while traditional media channels are in crisis mode.