Voicing Concerns About Environmental and Economic Injustice
ICCT voices are speaking up for environmental and economic justice at no less than five ONE Wake Listening Sessions with the last mixed session scheduled on May 31, 2023, 7:00 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh. Everyone in the ICCT network is invited to register here. More information and talking points about the needs and about funding options can be found below. Specifically, ICCT is speaking about:
- the need for affordable energy bills for low income renters and owners through energy efficiency upgrades’
- the need for life-saving emergency shelter for our homeless neighbors during extreme weather and
- the need for true accessibility to low income households to federal funding in the IRA and Infrastructure Acts that is rolling out to help those low income renters and homeowners pay for energy efficiency upgrades to better cope with rising energy costs.
There will also be a key ONE Wake Internal Assembly on June 8 at 7:00 PM when the results of all the listening sessions will be reviewed and a public vote will be taken on which concerns ONE Wake should prioritize for research and action. We’re hoping that these environmental and economic justice concerns will be among them. You can register here.
ICCT voices have been heard at ONE Wake Listening Sessions in Raleigh sponsored by Baptist Grove Church, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, First Baptist Church and Temple Beth Or, Pullen Memorial Baptist, all in Raleigh and Cary First Christian Church. People from ICCT were spread across most, if not all, of the small groups at these sessions. Other congregations involved were Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, St. Paul’s Christian Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh.
Talking Points for ONE Wake Listening Sessions
Affordable Energy Bills and a Permanent Emergency Shelter
Ask these questions:
- Do you or does someone you know struggle to pay utility bills?
- Have you or has someone you know gotten 2 months behind on energy bills?
- Have you or has someone you know had their electricity cut off?
- Do you know how much Duke Progress Energy is planning to raise rates?
Energy bills are high now and they will be going higher by 17% over a 3-year period beginning this January as currently proposed by Duke Progress Energy. Add to that another 16% expected to be proposed in June for a total of a 33% increase in rates.
We know energy affordability is particularly difficult for low-income families who spend a larger share of their income on energy costs than their wealthier neighbors. In Wake County, these households spend almost 30% of their income on energy costs each year, compared to an affordable level of 6% or less.
There are opportunities available now and upcoming from the Infrastructure Act and Inflation Reduction Act for both individuals and non-profits. Funding programs will cover weatherization and urgent repairs, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, water heaters, and more. Individual tax credits can amount to 30% of the cost of upgrade and—depending on eligibility—rebates could be worth up to $14,000.
Finally, we can investigate if these monies can be applied to funding a permanent resilience center for people in Raleigh who need a place inside on White Flag nights when the temperatures are falling below 35 degrees, for when there are extreme heat events in urban heat islands, and for electricity blackouts due to extreme storms.
For information contact Lynn at ICCTriangle@gmail.com.
