Ensuring Communities Benefit from Water Power Activities in Their Backyards

Community Benefits Programs.
Biden Administration’s Justice 40 Initiative.
Energy and Environmental Justice.

These are important initiatives, but what do they really mean in terms of day-to-day work by hydro project owners and developers and in-the-field researchers?

As part of applying for federal funds – including those appropriated from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act for hydroelectric incentives or funding opportunity announcements for research, the applicants are required to show they have a robust Community Benefits Program.

How should the industry, its advocates, and other entities such as the U.S. Department of Energy ensure that a Community Benefits Program become part and parcel of business plans and not just “checking the box”?

Presenter(s)

Ashley BrooksDiversity, Equity, and Inclusion Project Manager, Water Power Technologies OfficeU.S. Department of EnergyModerator

Luciana CiocciHydroelectric Incentives Stakeholder Engagement LeadU.S. Department of EnergyPanelist

Samuel HerbertSenior Energy & Environmental Justice Policy Advisor, Office of Economic Impact and DiversityU.S. Department of EnergyPanelist

Hailee KesselChief Regulatory OfficerCurrent Hydro, LLCPanelist

David OonkManagement Analyst, Social Science and Data Strategy, Water Power Technologies OfficeU.S. Department of EnergyPanelist