SIF: 2021 Power Plan and DEI

February 19, 2021 - 9:00 AM - 2:30 PM
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SIF on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Power Plan

9am - 2:30pm Pacific / 10am - 3:30pm Mountain

Revisit the meeting:

  • Slides shown during the main session (see agenda below!)

  • Final memo from Efficiency for Everyone and Empower Dataworks -
     - Council staff note: This memo is a product of our consultants. Staff will review the ideas and potential actions summarized in the memo with advisory committees and bring options to the Council for consideration in the draft 2021 Power Plan.   

  • Synthesis of “raw” barriers/actions from the SIF meeting -
     - Council staff note: This workbook represents raw feedback received from participants in the SIF and compiled by Efficiency for Everyone and Empower Dataworks. Items were taken directly from stakeholder feedback without any editing or correction of typos.

  • Mural breakout session tool with ideas generated during breakout sessions 

Videos:

Other materials:

The Council will be holding a System Integration Forum (SIF) webinar on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in power planning, and specifically, in the development of the Council’s 2021 Power Plan. This forum builds on similar discussions previously held in the Council’s various advisory committees, and will include high level review of DEI concepts in power planning as a level setting followed by guided questions for further exploration.

The objective of the forum will be to coalesce around advice to the Council on potential action items and other considerations for the 2021 Power Plan.

As with all meetings, this forum is open to the public and we hope that you can join us.

Agenda:

Click links for each item to be taken to that point in video recording of the meeting.

9:00am - Introduction & Welcome - Facilitators, Bill Edmonds, Executive Director at the Council

9:10am - Overview Of The Day: Tech Support, Ground Rules, & The Agenda

9:20am - Energy Equity 101: Key Terms & Concepts
A brief overview of important equity terms and attendees' familiarity with them, their contexts, and considerations for their use. 

9:30am - Envisioning An Equitable Energy System 
Opportunity for attendees to evaluate their own relationship to issues of equity and an exploration of the similarities and differences among the equity visions shared by attendees in the pre-SIF survey.

10:00am - Framing The Day’s Conversation: The Council’s Purview & Activities - Ben Kujala, Director, Power Planning
A presentation on the role of the Council in the region's energy system, highlights of early findings from the 2021 Plan, and the call for energy equity in the Northwest Power Act. 

10:20am - Break

10:30am - Seeing The Forest For The Trees: Tactical And Structural Barriers To Equity In Our Energy System - Includes Breakout Groups
A deep dive into the use of systems thinking to lift up structural barriers to equity in the region's energy system. After a brief presentation on systems thinking and the Five Whys technique, attendees will work together in small groups to begin tracing the root causes of persistent equity issues. Includes Q+A with Nicolas Garcia, Policy Director, WA Public Utility Districts Association

11:30am - Lunch Break

12:00pm - The Equity Toolbox: Data, Processes, & Tools to Facilitate Equity Thinking, Part 1: Guest Speakers
A lively Q&A session with our guest speakers, each of whom is an expert in one of three approaches to increasing equity: the use of data and metrics to reveal and describe inequities; meaningful public engagement in the design of energy policy and programs; and the use of equity assessment tools to prompt policy makers and program designers to incorporate equity considerations.

12:45pm - Break

12:55pm - The Equity Toolbox, Part 2: Breakout Group Brainstorming
The guest speakers will join attendees in breakout groups to brainstorm what the Council and the region should do to increase energy equity, using the data, processes, and tools framework. 

2:00pm - Next Steps & Closing Questions

 

Download meeting notes

Resources:

Equity Terms and Definitions (pdf)

Bibliography of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Resources

Facilitation Information:

The Council has engaged two DEI experts in energy to help facilitate this discussion and assist in the conversation.

Marti Frank - Principal, Efficiency for Everyone

Efficiency for Everyone is a woman-owned small business founded to advance equity in the clean energy industry. Founder Marti Frank is a skilled researcher with 18 years of work experience in clean energy and a recognized leader in equity research and program design. 

Hassan Shaban - Principal, Empower Dataworks 

Empower Dataworks is a boutique consulting firm that specializes in data and engineering analytical services in support of energy efficiency and distributed energy resource programs. We work with utilities on program deign and planning for meeting clean energy and energy equity goals.

Guest Speakers:

  • Dr. Tony Reames, Assistant Professor, University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability
  • Lisa Abbott, Deputy Organizing Director, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth
  • Emeka Anyanwu, Energy Innovation & Resources Officer, Seattle City Light
  • Vicki Hackett, Deputy Commissioner of Energy, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
  • Nicolas Garcia, Policy Director, Washington Public Utility Districts Association

 

What is a System Integration Forum?
In working towards a power plan Council staff relies heavily on its advisory committees to provide input and direction. On occasion, there may be topics that need to be discussed across multiple advisory committees. In hopes to limit redundancy or confusion by having separate discussions the Council seeks to bring together affected committees into a combined meeting called a System Integration Forum (SIF).