When I joined the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in 2021 as the nation’s first-ever Deputy Director for Energy Justice, I was excited to take on the mantle of ensuring justice and equity in the emerging clean energy economy for all Americans—particularly those left behind by the legacies of racism, inequitable policies, and discriminatory investments. But I am even more thrilled today to report that the newly renamed Office of Energy Justice and Equity (EJE) has increased our number of full-time employees from 37, when I first arrived, to more than 100. This growth reflects the ongoing commitment of the Biden-Harris Administration to energy justice and tackling the climate crisis through equity-centered solutions. 

In 2023, our office received the highest level of funding since its inception in 1978. This milestone demonstrates both the administration and the Department’s dedication to advancing energy justice and equity in the clean energy transition. This Congressional funding also provides much needed resources for implementing the Justice40 Initiative. It gives EJE critical resources to advance a just and equitable energy transition. 

The structure and design of the current energy system has created inequities and injustices that fall disproportionally on impoverished communities, Indigenous communities, and Black and Brown communities. We must do better, and the energy transition DOE is stewarding provides a once-in-a-century opportunity to advance transformative justice. The Office of Energy Justice and Equity fights every day to ensure that every American has an opportunity to participate fully in DOE programs and initiatives. Moreover, EJE is committed to assisting marginalized people and communities to fully realize the benefits of the emerging clean energy economy of the 21st century. That means cleaner air, access to low-cost and cleaner energy resources, and high-paying jobs. 

I am thrilled to report on the progress our office has made toward advancing our environmental justice and equity goals. 

From providing workshops on Community Benefits Plans during our Energy Justice to the People Roadshow, to hosting thousands of people virtually and in Washington, D.C. for our second annual DOE Justice Week, to standing up a historic Inflation Reduction Program designed to deliver clean energy and economic benefits to low-income communities, to developing sensitivity training for DOE program managers and contractors working with Native or Tribal communities, to funding dozens of minority students in summer STEM internships, and providing funding to community-based organizations in Puerto Rico to support resilience, 2023 was a busy year. I am so proud of the EJE staff and external community members we partner with every day.  

Please join me in celebrating all that we have accomplished in 2023 with our year in review blog featured below. There’s a lot to be proud of, and we will continue to focus on helping DOE prioritize equity and place-based strategies in our investments to model a clean energy transition that delivers real benefits to frontline communities—especially those historically impacted by the legacy of pollution and environmental injustice.  

Thank you to everyone who made 2023 such a stellar year of accomplishments, and I look forward to EJE’s continued progress throughout 2024.  

Onward. 

Shalanda H. Baker 

Director of the Office of Energy Justice and Equity, Secretarial Advisor on Equity, and Chief Diversity Officer