NYSERDA: Energy Equity Collaborative

New York State’s climate and clean energy commitments require not only rapid program deployment, but also meaningful and sustained engagement with communities that have historically been excluded from energy planning and disproportionately burdened by energy costs, environmental harm, and climate risk. While NYSERDA had made significant investments in equity‑focused programs and initiatives, there was a need for a durable, statewide advisory structure that could consistently elevate community priorities, support early and transparent feedback, and strengthen coordination across agencies.

Designing such a structure posed several challenges. The Energy Equity Collaborative needed to represent diverse geographies, community types, and issue areas across the state while remaining manageable and decision‑relevant. Engagement mechanisms had to balance accessibility with rigor, ensuring that community‑based organizations could participate meaningfully without overburdening limited staff capacity. Finally, NYSERDA required an approach that translated community input into insights that could practically inform program design, implementation, and policy decisions, rather than functioning as a one‑way listening exercise.

E Source supported NYSERDA to design and operationalize the EEC as a structured, action‑oriented advisory body. Our team developed the Collaborative’s governance framework, participation plans and operating norms.  This established clear roles for the Steering Committee and topic‑specific Working Groups and defined how input would be gathered, documented, and elevated within NYSERDA.

We facilitate quarterly in‑person Steering Committee meetings that focus on strategic priorities, cross‑cutting equity issues, and feedback on NYSERDA initiatives. In parallel, we facilitate monthly virtual Working Groups organized around four core focus areas: Engagement & Access, Housing and Buildings, Workforce, and Energy Transition. Each is designed to provide more detailed, sector‑specific input and recommendations. Meeting agendas, materials, and facilitation approaches are tailored to support productive dialogue, shared understanding, and concrete takeaways for agency partners. 

In addition to facilitation, E Source manages the EEC’s communications and engagement infrastructure. This includes maintaining an online portal for members, coordinating outreach and updates, supporting public‑facing EEC materials, and producing NYSERDA’s Energy Equity and Climate Justice Digest, a monthly newsletter that shares funding opportunities, engagement pathways, and training resources with a broader network of stakeholders. We also provide strategic guidance to NYSERDA on engagement approaches to expand participation over time and strengthen the Collaborative’s reach and effectiveness.

Through the EEC, NYSERDA now has a standing, statewide forum that enables ongoing, early and transparent engagement with community‑based organizations representing Disadvantaged Communities. The Collaborative creates regular opportunities for community perspectives to inform clean energy program priorities and supports stronger coordination between NYSERDA and other state agency partners working at the intersection of energy, housing, workforce, and climate policy. 

E Source’s role as prime contractor has allowed NYSERDA to move beyond ad‑hoc engagement toward a more consistent and accountable model for incorporating equity considerations into program design and decision making. By pairing structured governance and facilitation with sustained communications and outreach, the EEC supports deeper relationships, clearer feedback loops, and a growing network of informed and engaged stakeholders contributing to New York’s clean energy transition.