Energy Action Coalition

Energy Action Coalition (EAC) works to unite all generations in demanding a 100 percent safe and clean energy future. Comprised of 50 youth-led environmental and social justice organizations, EAC collectively represents the Millennial Generation on climate and energy issues.

“EAC is the hub of the youth climate movement,” said Courtney Hight, EAC’s co-executive director. “We focus on engaging young people and providing the tools they need to run successful local campaigns, while connecting them to a larger climate movement.”

Established in 2005, EAC unites a wide range of partners, including large environmental organizations, faith- and business-based groups, and hundreds of thousands of young people from college campuses and youth groups and networks.

“Our coalition partners are an impressive and diverse set,” said Hight. “We bring these organizations together to develop collaborative campaigns that draw on the unique strengths of each group, so we can build a broader movement and win real victories.”

One such victory came in April 2011, when 10,000 young people from EAC descended on Washington, D.C. for the largest grassroots organizing training in U.S. history: Power Shift 2011.  A mere three hours before kicking off Power Shift, 11 young climate activists attended a very special meeting. “We went into it thinking we were meeting White House staff members and were pleasantly surprised by a visit from President Obama,” Hight said. “Before he left, President Obama told the group, “It’s your job to push the envelope; it’s my job to govern.”

This meeting, and all of Power Shift 2011, garnered more than 300 media hits, ranging from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and more than 200 local and state papers.

“We were able to bring a message of climate change into the mainstream media—and to reach all the people reading and watching,” Hight said.

EAC also engages the Millennial Generation where it spends the most time: online.  The coalition developed wearepowershift.org to provide a platform for young climate leaders to find one another and share resources.

Looking ahead, EAC is poised to continue building, growing, evolving, and reaching even more constituents in the years to come.

The coalition continues to work to transition local economies to 100 percent clean energy, while developing and putting in place internal systems and structures to enable these new economies.

“All of this will require strong online communication and platforms, and being nimble enough to go deep when necessary,” said Hight. “We’ve thrown out some sparks, now we need to stoke the fire.”