Down Home North Carolina thinks $438 is way too much to pay for electricity. Don’t you? Yet that’s how much some working-class residents of Johnston County are forced to pay to companies like Duke Energy every month and this will rise as our planet heats up. So DHNC is here to help.
DHNC has launched a new campaign, WEE Are JoCo, to help residents access some of the $156 million in Inflation Reduction Act funds made available by the federal government to help communities adapt to climate change. WEE stands for “Weatherize, Energize, Economize.”
DHNC plays an active role in People’s Action’s Leveraging Federal Funds cohort, which helps states and local communities across the country access some of the $3 trillion in funds the Biden administration and Congress have made available to local communities for economic recovery, but which too often fails to reach the communities that need these resources most.
“Inflation Reduction Act funds are here right now in North Carolina, says Jennifer Elson, DHNC’s climate campaigner. “What that means is all kinds of ways to reduce greenhouse gases, whether that is solarizing community buildings, doing better transportation options so there are less fumes in the air.”
The new campaign is also working to get Johnston County to hire an Energy Navigator, to help local residents directly access available federal funds and resources.
“We have an opportunity right now to become leaders in the state on this.,” says DHNC local organizer Liz Lynn. “We’ve done our research, we’ve met with County Commissioners and we are ready to organizer for a win!”