Community Power

Grassroots Decisions Meet Grassroots Energy

We intervene for energy justice, and bring concrete benefits to our everyday lives by making the cost savings and health benefits of energy efficiency, weatherization and community solar gardens more accessible to a greater number of people. Community Power works towards an energy future that is CLEAN, LOCAL, EQUITABLE, AFFORDABLE, & RESILIENT by bringing equity and power analysis into energy decision-making processes, which bypass the "forcefields of tedium" and the jargon that the big power players use to protect themselves. Our solutions support local communities to become independent and powerful in their fight against energy monopolies by creating relationships, educating stakeholders, and building power within communities. 

Examples of our Energy Democracy work:

1. Organizing nonpartisan voter and candidate education on energy democracy during Minneapolis local elections, since 2013. This year our work included holding 30 meetings with candidates for mayor and city council, collecting and posting 20 responses to our Minneapolis Energy Future questionnaire, cohosting 6 public candidate forum events, and creating a voter guide.  
2. Creating the Good Energy Connections program to navigate Twin Cities residents toward real-life energy efficiency projects that lower living costs, mitigate climate change, and deepen democracy in their community. Recently we hired two new Navigators and hope to grow the program with your support!
3. Being an active part of the Just Transition Fund Coalition that supports the funding and the implementation of the 2023 Minneapolis Climate Equity Plan.
4. As part of the CLEAR Coalition we successfully fought parts of the 2025 MN Senate Energy Omnibus Bill that would have ended our state’s nation-leading and newly improved Community Solar Program.
5. Making abundant public comments in the decision-making processes that govern the sources of energy for Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy (Xcel's Integrated Resource Plan, CenterPoint's Natural Gas Innovation Act plan.) 
6. Helping achieve satisfactory outcomes in past Xcel and CenterPoint rate cases, keeping what we pay in our monthly utility bills reasonable.

We hold decision-makers accountable and responsive by inviting and including community organizations and community members to powerful discussions. We put people rather than utilities, government agencies, and big "power players" at the core of Minnesota's energy.

Help fuel the energy democracy movement & contribute today! Learn more about how we use these resources and our work at: www.communitypowermn.org.