SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego State University will lead one of 17 centers nationwide designed to connect underserved communities with resources for energy and environmental justice, thanks to a $10 million federal grant announced Thursday.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection Thursday in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy.
"We are grateful for the incredible trust and support of the EPA and Department of Energy, which will allow us to leverage SDSU's longstanding commitment to climate action and environmental justice," SDSU President Adela de la Torre said in a statement. "As the only California university selected to lead this work, this is clear recognition of our faculty's ability and passion to foster mutually beneficial relationships with tribal and other key communities.
"And this empowerment focus is exactly what makes SDSU distinct as a major research university -- our focus is not just on the idea, but on creating a sustainable and positive impact," she said.
The SDSU Center for Community Energy and Environmental Justice will provide "critical services to rural, remote, tribal and Indigenous communities to access federal resources for environmental and energy justice projects," according to a university statement. It will be based in the SDSU Mission Valley's Innovation District -- currently under construction.
"We are excited to spearhead capacity-building efforts to serve the needs of communities who have historically been excluded from policy decisions and actions affecting their homes and surrounding environments," said SDSU biology professor and project lead, Rebecca Lewison.
Lewison and the team plan to, over the next five years, create multilingual in-person and virtual services to help communities that are often most affected by environmental challenges like drought, flooding, and pollution apply for government funding.
The center's impact is intended to reach beyond San Diego, with services elsewhere in California as well as Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, Guam and American Samoa by using SDSU's existing climate-focused initiatives such as the Community Climate Action Network and the Center for Regional Sustainability. Community organizations such as the Climate Science Alliance are also expected to help extend the reach of the center.
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