Diversity Coalition

Overview

The Diversity Coalition San Luis Obispo County, BlocPower, RACE Matters and Central Coast Coalition for Undocumented Student Success, will deploy an equity-focused education and outreach campaign in San Luis Obispo County to increase awareness and chart a path towards electrification in high-needs, hard-to-reach, black-and-brown communities.

Research questions

• What type of clean energy messages and strategies resonate the most with BIPOC and LMI communities?
• How can a community-based marketing and outreach campaign successfully educate BIPOC and LMI communities about immediate bill reduction strategies and lead to heat pump adoption?

Value for the TECH incentive program: The playbook and learning from this pilot will inform how to increase the reach of TECH incentives in underserved, hard-to-reach communities.

Market Barrier

For many low-income, communities of color, electrification and climate are concepts in the abstract. Current messaging strategies about electrification and climate from state, city and utility marketing fail to sufficiently consider the background context of many in underserved communities and as such do not address them specifically or have the messaging resonate with them.

Proposed Solution

This project will tailor messaging for hard-to-reach communities through education and provide agency. The pilot will develop a model and playbook for advancing equitable messaging strategies related to electrification across California. This will provide cities, utilities, and community-based organizations with a core set of materials and a playbook for meaningfully engaging underserved and hard-to-reach communities in electrification efforts.

Theory of Change

This pilot will address knowledge and education gaps by funding trusted stakeholders to conduct education and awareness events for underserved populations. These activities will provide insights and data necessary to tailor future outreach tailored to specific knowledge and education gaps. By leveraging authority and trust, this community-based approach will also be able to identify vulnerable households for whom electrification can bring significant cost, health, safety, and comfort potential.

Project Status:

In progress

Housing Type:

Residential

Technology:

All heat pump technology

Location:

San Luis Obispo County