Calling All Community Groups! New Funding Opportunity Announced
 

We were excited to see that the U.S. Department of Energy released a first-of-a-kind Funding Opportunity Announcement, or FOA, last month focused on environmental justice, community participation in nuclear, and early STEM education. This FOA will make funding available to community organizations and communities that want to start talking with the federal government to learn more about nuclear technologies and the nuclear fuel cycle. 

The department intends to make two to eleven awards under this opportunity, and we encourage you to share the details widely with your networks! Letters of intent are due June 1, and applications are due July 18. 

Film Club Recap

Thank you to those who joined and asked questions at our first-ever film club event April 20! We had a fantastic time talking with Dr. Tommy Rock, post-doctoral researcher at the Geosciences Department at Princeton University and member of the Navajo Nation, about The Return of Navajo Boy. 

Read our recap of the conversation and access the event recording here.

Screening Tool Discussion

In February, the Council on Environmental Quality released an initial version of its tool to support public and private developers and program managers in identifying disadvantaged communities throughout the country. This tool was a long time coming, directed in January 2021, and released late a year later in February 2022. 

Great to see the Biden-Harris administration develop the necessary tools of analysis to support environmentally equitable and just decision-making. It’s also in beta, and as others have noted, there is still room to improve the tool to ensure it includes all underserved and overburdened communities. We weighed in to the council in support of considering adding abandoned mine land data to its indicator that accounts for exposure to legacy pollution. 

Demonstrating How It’s Done

We’re excited to be working alongside other climate and energy organizations to help inform the standup of the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, a new agency at the U.S. Department of Energy that will support new, climate-friendly energy sources in proving their potential. 

To learn more about how this office came to be and where it’s going, check out our recent joint blog post on our website.

In the News

Jessica recently joined Scott Galloway on his podcast, The Prof G Pod, to discuss nuclear energy's reputation as an energy resource and the ways it could help address climate change.



Jessica also joined KPCC radio’s AirTalk program this month to talk about why California’s Diablo Canyon nuclear plant should be kept online, if possible. Listen here.
 

Good Energy Collective is making the progressive case for nuclear energy in a just, climate-friendly future. We invite you to chip in if you are able and share broadly with your networks.