GEORGIA GAINS REINFORCEMENTS IN FIGHT FOR EQUITABLE ENERGY POLICIES

PRESS RELEASE, DATE: 9/16/21

The Southeast has among the highest electricity bills and the lowest investment in energy efficiency in America according to 2019 data from US Energy Information Administration and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. Newly hired advocates in Georgia have the experience to change the equation. 

 With a juris doctor degree and 15+ years of experience working on energy and climate issues, Katie Southworth knows how easily those who influence our access to resources most can lose sight of the people who are impacted most by inefficient housing and oppressively high energy bills. But she also has the technical and policy-making acumen to equip communities to effectively address environmental equity in our plans and policies. 

Katie’s experience includes leading clean energy programs, climate policy development, and electricity system planning at the State of Tennessee Office of Energy Programs and consulting on the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Sustainable Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Project. 

 As she puts it, “Despite rapidly evolving trends that are driving prices down for renewables and up for fossil fuels, decision-makers aren’t passing along the benefits of an increasingly dynamic resource mix to low-income residents. Disparities in who carries the energy burden remain a growing, unaddressed problem, especially in the Southeast.” 

 Katie recently became advocacy director at Southface Institute, an Atlanta-based sustainable building and development nonprofit. She plans to educate the public on improving equitable access to clean energy and increasing the resilience of communities most impacted by climate change through Georgia Power’s upcoming integrated resource plan, national standards on building codes, and other projects. 

 “Southface has been a leader in research, design, and implementation of scalable solutions in homes, workplaces, and communities for more than 40 years. I look forward to working with our network of NGO partners, government agencies, universities, and technical assistance providers to drive policy and action that help us achieve a healthy built environment for all.” 

Like the organization she now represents, Katie is committed to accelerating Georgia’s growth into a sustainability leader throughout the nation. With advocates like these in our corner, the future looks bright — and green.   

ENDS 

 For media inquiries, please contact Tricia Embry at tembry@southface.org or (404) 604-3654. 

Notes to editors: 

• The opening statistics were sourced through the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy’s Energy Efficiency in the Southeast report: https://cleanenergy.org/blog/saces-third-annual-energy-efficiency-in-the-southeast-report-a-solution-to-multiple-crises/ 
• Southface Institute is a nonprofit that increases the sustainability of homes, workplaces, and communities through education, research, advocacy, and technical assistance. They provide a mixture of programs and paid services to other nonprofits, businesses, municipalities, developers, trade workers, homeowners, and many others throughout the Southeast and beyond. This work is helping to realize a shared vision of responsible resource use, climate resiliency, a healthy built environment for all, and a regenerative economy that gives back more than it uses — a vision Southface has been working toward for more than 40 years.