Community Energy Association

The trusted independent advisor to local governments on climate and energy

Peer Networks – Cross Network and Special Sessions

In support of the Peer Network ecosystem CEA will host a variety of cross-network and special sessions – these are sessions that don’t neatly fit within one of the existing 17 networks and may cover themes that span many topics, sectors, or regions, or address something completely new. Do you have an idea for a session that doesn't quite fit in a particular network? Let us know.

Network Meeting Recording and Notes

June 25, 2025 - Power Up Communities — Best Practices & Tools for Advancing Community Energy & Equity

The Power Up Communities webinar, hosted by Sam Sedlowsky and the CEA, facilitated by Kambo Energy Group in partnership with the Cities of Kamloops, Surrey, Metro Vancouver, and BC Hydro’s Sustainable Communities program, brought together municipal staff, community organizations, and climate leaders from across BC and beyond. The session explored tested strategies and practical tools to help municipalities embed equity into local climate action and energy programs, focusing on reaching communities most impacted by climate change. 

The presentation team from Kambo Energy Group included: 

  • Yasmin Abraham, President & Co-Founder 
  • Olivia McWilliam, Program Manager 
  • Grace Young, Growth Communications Strategist 

Read the full report (don’t forget the appendix!)

Watch the full recording 

View the presentation slides 

0:00  Welcome  Sam Sedlowsky, CEA 
6:39  Kambo’s work was highlighted, including: 

Partnerships with over 70 First Nation communities, over 150 community organizations, support in 12+ languages, and more than $24 million secured for Indigenous energy efficiency and housing initiatives. 

 Olivia McWilliam, Kambo 
13:42  What We Heard: Insights from Municipal Interviews 

The project launched in January 2025, aiming to help municipalities design equitable, accessible energy programs. Interviews across BC uncovered: 

  • Commonly underserved groups: renters, low-income households, seniors, people with disabilities or health conditions, racialized communities, small business owners, and landlords. 
  • Successful strategies already in use: door-to-door outreach, concierge-style services, public assemblies, multilingual communications, and partnerships with community organizations—especially when co-designed and framed around immediate benefits. 
  • Common barriers: legal constraints, split incentives, staffing and funding shortages, and integrating equity too late in program development. 
  • Gaps needing further research: equity-driven data collection, tenant retrofit financing, cooling and heat resilience for rentals, program framing, and climate programs tailored for rural and northern contexts. 

View the Menti poll results 

 Olivia McWilliam, Kambo 
25:03  Case Studies: Local & International Examples 

Six in-depth case studies illustrated diverse approaches to embedding equity: 

  • Vancouver:
    Equity Framework: Getting Our House In Order embeds equity into all city operations, emphasizing systemic change through accountability, Indigenous rights, and cultural shifts. 
  • Portland:
    The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) channels voter-approved funds to frontline-led climate justice projects, demonstrating how strong community oversight builds trust and scales impact. 
  • Philadelphia:
    The Energy Poverty Alleviation Strategy connects clean energy with housing upgrades, cutting energy burdens for BIPOC and low-income residents. 
  • Seattle:
    City Light Public Charging Program: Curbside Level 2 Expansion strategically grows EV infrastructure in underserved, renter-heavy areas, linking electrification to health and justice. 
  • Sanikiluaq:
    The Anuriqjuak Nukkiksautiit Project—an Inuit-led wind initiative—cuts diesel reliance by 70%, showing how local leadership advances renewable transitions despite policy lags. 
  • Nova Scotia:
    The Alternative Resource Energy Authority (AREA) lets small towns co-own renewables, proving shared governance can overcome capacity limits and drive local resilience. 
 Grace Young, Kambo 
35:22  Cross-Cutting Themes 

From all case studies and local examples, several key patterns emerged: 

  • Community engagement is a critical success factor. 
  • Equity must be a structural, ongoing process, not a one-time initiative. 
  • Flexibility and responsive design help reach more people. 
  • Programs resonate most when aligned with community priorities like health, affordability, and safety. 

Equity metrics and data collection should be integrated from the start. 

 Grace Young, Kambo 
36:30  The 5 Recommendations 

Participants explored how to apply these insights through five main strategies: 

  1. Engage early and continuously: start engagement before design and sustain it through implementation. 
  2. Design around community priorities: root programs in what matters most—health, comfort, affordability. 
  3. Tailor outreach and communications: use in-language supports and culturally accessible approaches. 
  4. Build internal capacity: ensure staff, systems, and funding support respectful, effective work with underserved groups. 
  5. Track and embed equity metrics: what gets measured gets managed; tracking ensures accountability. 
 Olivia McWilliam, Kambo 
42:25  Summary of Breakout Room Discussions:  

Across all 5 breakout sessions, key themes emerged around the need for early, ongoing, and trust-based community engagement, particularly with underserved and underrepresented groups.  

  • Participants shared insights on successful strategies and challenges for community engagement and current efforts to reach underrepresented groups.  
  • Groups emphasized the importance of designing programs around local priorities through co-creation, building internal and external capacity for trauma-informed and inclusive practices, and tailoring outreach using culturally relevant, cohort-specific messaging.  
  • Strong partnerships with local organizations and dedicated engagement roles were seen as critical to success across multiple groups.  

Some barriers shared by participants include:  

  • limited resources, 
  • siloed departments, and  
  • challenges related to collecting meaningful, disaggregated equity data.  

Tracking and embedding equity metrics were highlighted as essential for accountability, with participants calling for better tools, data ownership practices, and long-term commitments to relationship-building.  

 All 
56:57  Wrap-Up: The Role of Local Government 

The session underscored that local governments are closest to communities, uniquely positioned to fill gaps and partner with local organizations to deliver equitable climate action. Attendees were encouraged to read the full report, explore detailed tools and metrics in the appendix, and continue collaborative learning. 

 Yasmin Abraham, Kambo 

 

 

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