Building an Equitable Energy Future: How the CEC is Developing a Justice, Access, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan to Include All Californians

By CEC Staff

The California Energy Commission (CEC) is working hard to develop a Justice, Access, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JAEDI) Action Plan to put fairness and inclusion at the heart of California’s clean energy future.

The plan will establish clear, achievable goals to ensure the CEC’s policies, programs, and operations support a just energy future for all Californians. Doing so will help ensure California Native American tribes and justice communities are not left behind in the transition to a more sustainable energy system.  

The CEC, which is the state’s primary energy policy and planning agency, developed the JAEDI Framework in 2022. The framework established guiding principles and best practices to achieve a modern and reliable energy system that will equitably serve all Californians without racial, geographic or economic disparities. The framework also emphasizes fostering diversity and a sense of belonging at the CEC. 

“The CEC wants a workforce that reflects the diversity of California and a workplace that has a culture of belonging,” the framework states. “When staff feel supported and can be themselves and work without barriers, they thrive.”  

The key to this external and internal strategy is using an approach that everyone forms part of, and from which everyone will benefit.  

Building on the framework, the CEC started the JAEDI informational proceeding in 2024.  The proceeding will be used to develop the action plan.  

During the proceeding, the CEC will hold workshops and listening sessions as part of its dedication to a fair and equitable road to California’s goal of a 100 percent clean energy and carbon neutrality by mid-century.  

The CEC highlighted this commitment during the first public JAEDI workshop Sept. 16. The workshop is part of the CEC’s efforts to build out a collaborative, actionable strategy. It served as a platform to educate CEC employees about the framework’s principles and offered the public a chance to provide their input. 

“It will give us a forum to be able to talk with the public about the ideas and the projects we have to advance these principles that are so important,” said Noemí Gallardo, lead CEC commissioner for the JAEDI initiative. “We’re including these principles, but trying to go above and beyond, so we’re excited for that opportunity to continue the discussion.”  

In addition to Gallardo, California Natural Resources Agency Deputy Secretary for Equity and Environmental Justice Noaki Schwartz and the CEC’s Deputy Public Advisor Ryan Young provided opening comments. California Public Utilities Commissioner Darcie Houck and Julia Hatton, president and CEO of Rising Sun Center for Opportunity and who serves on the Disadvantaged Communities Advisory Group (DACAG), also spoke. 

Aretha Welch, equity and environmental justice advisor to Gallardo, used live polls to gauge the public’s understanding of the initiative and explained the framework in detail. Former CEC Energy Fellow Ava Acevedo gathered feedback from attendees for future JAEDI workshop discussion and panel topics. 

During a panel featuring JAEDI liaisons from CEC divisions, staff shared how they integrate the framework into their programs, providing examples of its positive impact and opening the door to discuss how to overcome barriers to access. 

For example, the Energy Research and Development Division’s Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) program is working with tribes to help them build energy infrastructure projects that help communities become more resilient and make their energy supply more reliable. The program has awarded over $100 million in grants to benefit tribes in California.  

As part of the program, the CEC approved a $43 million in grants to the Viejas Tribe near Alpine to develop a long-duration energy storage system as part of a larger microgrid. This project is one of the largest state grants ever awarded to benefit a tribe. 

The initiative involves partnerships across various levels of government, the Tribe, and other key partners. This project exemplifies how the CEC integrates JAEDI best practices into its work by ensuring equitable and efficient energy solutions that benefit the communities that need them. 

The CEC plans to build on these discussions about energy burdens, reliability and community resilience throughout the proceeding and to provide ways to integrate energy justice into energy planning and policy.   

The next JAEDI workshop, entitled, Inclusive Pathways: Enhancing Policy and Program Input from Communities, is April 3 .  

The dais for that workshop will feature leaders dedicated to advancing equity and environmental justice in California’s energy policies. Accompanying Gallardo on the dais will be California Air Resources Board Member Cliff Rechtschaffen, California Public Utilities Commissioner Darcie Houck, California Natural Resources Agency Deputy Secretary for Equity and Environmental Justice Noaki Schwartz, and The Greenlining Institute Senior Legal Counsel Román Partida-López.