Bianca Sopoci-Belknap

Here in New Mexico, the largest investor-owned utility is also the largest corporation in the state. It’s a David versus Goliath fight that feels like we’re pushing a boulder up a hill.

So, how do we navigate a landscape that is hyper-controlled by corporations? By sharing stories and talking to each other. Sometimes it means one-on-one conversations, other times it means gathering people, emails, texts, or writing. It’s tougher and tougher to break through as the energy companies acquire more power—in direct holding of power assets, and also the more insidious dynamics of power in the halls of government.

That’s why frontline groups are that much more important: they’re close to the ground, and authentically speak truth to power about what’s happening to them. By connecting with people locally and across the country, I’ve been able to understand that we’re not alone: this stranglehold that utilities have on our communities here is reflective of the system and the structure that we see all over. There are efforts in Maine, New York, and beyond, led for and by communities that are fighting the same endless, voracious greed—our stories are the same, and our victories are shared.