Catherine Robinson

Since 2005, One Voice has worked to change the rural electric cooperative system of Mississippi into one that is fair, equitable, and inclusive. To us, energy democracy means building a foundation for residents within rural electric cooperatives to have a say in determining which decentralized renewable resources their communities want, in energy efficiency upgrade requirements, and in actions to eliminate energy debt. That way, they don’t have to choose between paying light bills versus medical bills. In order for us to achieve energy justice, energy providers must be transparent, and work to ensure that communities have access to local clean energy, broadband, and anything else in their best interest.

We have seen how energy democracy can make real changes. In one election, we were able to increase member engagement by over 100% – from 700 votes to over 2000! Educate yourself, meet your local leadership, and learn the ongoing history behind your community’s politics…with people power, we can come together collectively to make a change and know that we are never alone!