April 24, 2026

Ohio Energy Champions: Energy Justice History and the Just Transition

Participants will explore the concept of a Just Transition and what it means to move from a fossil-fuel-dependent, extractive energy system to a clean, community-centered energy future, without leaving workers, frontline communities, or legacy energy regions behind. This session will ground the Just Transition in real-world examples and highlight pathways that prioritize equity, accountability, and shared benefits.

Topics Covered:

• Defining the Just Transition: What the Just Transition is, where the concept comes from, and why it is essential to achieving energy justice and climate solutions.
• Rethinking Energy Development: New approaches to utility-scale development that reduce harm and increase community benefit, including agrivoltaics and responsible utility-scale solar siting. 
• Honoring Legacy Energy Communities: How Just Transition principles can support workers and communities historically tied to fossil fuel industries, with examples of place-based transition efforts and lived experience. 
• Looking Ahead: An introduction to Energy Democracy as a critical pillar of the Just Transition, setting the stage for the next session in the series.

Guest Speakers:

• Molly Jo Stanley, Southeast Ohio Regional Director of Ohio Environmental Council
• Jesse Velazquez, Climate Justice Manager Ohio Environmental Council
• Marnese Jackson, CEO of Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition