Michelle Moore on Leading an Equitable Energy Transition

On August 4th, Michelle Moore joined Garrison Institute co-founder Jonathan F.P. Rose in conversation on leading an equitable energy transition. As CEO of Groundswell, Michelle has empowered communities all over the country to reduce energy costs and add clean energy generation. With a focus on rural electric co-ops, which serve over 90% of persistent poverty counties in the United States, Michelle works on energy solutions that benefit everybody in “ways that matter at the kitchen table.”

The co-op model of shared ownership empowers communities to design solutions that meet their needs. You can have extractive or balanced relationships; to achieve more balanced relationships such as those in successful rural electric co-ops, Michelle and Jonathan agreed that defining systems based on coexistence and mutuality is a good place to start.

As we think about political and economic systems, Michelle reminded us that “people don’t serve the economy; the economy serves the people.”

“We’ve gotta respect and love the people and places we are serving”

This interactive online event was part of a continuing series in the Garrison Institute’s Forum on Pathways to Planetary Health (PPH). Pathways to Planetary Health explores the moral, ethical, and human behavioral dimensions of the search for regenerative solutions, including Half-Earth, Ecological Civilization, Regenerative Economics, and The Common Good.