All of us working on utility law, policy, and operation can change our work in order to create opportunities for collaboration with more progressive social movements not fewer. I want to offer a reparative definition for utility justice inspired by Ruth Wilson Gilmore and Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò.
Any queer person who works on climate and energy issues—utility issues, especially—in a technical capacity of any kind is a marvel. A statistical miracle. On my first day working on utility policy, I quickly noticed that I didn't have any openly LGBTQ colleagues.
Spanning utility history, economic theory, analysis of structural racism, and practical guides to organizing for justice going forward, this reading list is a deeper introduction for anyone using the People's Utility curriculum or wanting to learn more about utility justice in a reading group.
In December 2022, Los Angeles organizers won a multi-year fight against utility debt and for utility shutoffs within the largest public utility in the country, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which serves over 4 million households and businesses in its service territory.
