Energy Equity and Environmental Justice
Incorporating Energy Equity and Environmental Justice into California's Energy Codes and Standards
The Statewide CASE Team recognizes, acknowledges, and accounts for a history of prejudice and inequality in disproportionately impacted populations and the role this history plays in the environmental justice issues that persist today. Including impacted communities in the decision-making process, ensuring that the benefits and burdens of the energy sector are evenly distributed, and facing the unjust legacies of the past all serve as critical steps to achieving energy equity.
Energy equity and environmental justice (EEEJ) is a newly emphasized part of the Statewide CASE Team’s work and is an increasingly important part of energy codes all over the country. The Statewide CASE Team exists to make code change proposals, and this code cycle, these proposals were developed with intentional consideration of how energy codes can affect underrepresented communities. The Statewide CASE Team is committed to integrating and prioritizing equity not only in the current code cycle, but also in each future code cycle to come.
By including EEEJ in this work, the Statewide CASE Team invites community partners and interested parties to the table. This work could not be done without the participation and engagement of the EEEJ stakeholders, who bring a critical perspective, expertise in equity, and often lived experience.
2025 Code Cycle EEEJ Summary Report
This report reviews what the Statewide CASE Team has done during the 2025 Code Cycle to keep equity an integral consideration throughout the code development process. It presents the Statewide CASE Team’s equity framework and reviews stakeholder engagement activities.
For questions or suggestions, email [email protected]. Please include “2025 EEEJ Summary Report” in the subject line.
EEEJ Glossary
The EEEJ glossary is a list of commonly used environmental justice terminology and associated definitions. This list was created with the intention of making discussions about energy codes more accessible. As our conversations expand, the EEEJ glossary will grow to represent those changes.
The Path Forward: EEEJ Project Timeline
The project timeline shows the schedule for the 2025 California Energy Code Cycle, including when the Statewide CASE Team met with EEEJ stakeholders, including both EEEJ partners and Community Based Organizations.
You can also view the overall Title 24 2025 code cycle timeline for details about code cycle milestones.
| Milestone | Date |
| Develop EEEJ Action Plan, define terminology, begin research | July – December 2021 |
| Determine EEEJ Key Stakeholder Criteria | January – June 2022 |
| Research and identify potential EEEJ Stakeholders | July – December 2022 |
| Research and develop EEEJ content for CASE Reports | July 2022 – June 2023 |
| Develop educational materials to ensure accessibility to engaging with Title 24 process | January – June 2023 |
| Initiate outreach with potential EEEJ Stakeholders | April – June 2023 |
| Determine 2025 EEEJ Stakeholders and begin to engage and build relationships | April – September 2023 |
| EEEJ Stakeholders review drafted language on EEEJ impacts for 2025 EEEJ Summary Report | July – September 2023 |
| Draft and publish 2025 EEEJ Summary Report | October 2023 – March 2024 |
EEEJ Partners & Community-based Organizations
The Statewide CASE Team expresses gratitude to EEEJ Stakeholders for their unwavering dedication to advancing environmental and social justice goals. Their tireless efforts in advocating for equitable and sustainable policies enrich the Statewide CASE Team’s work by including a broader perspective that reflects the needs and aspirations of disproportionately impacted populations. The following EEEJ Stakeholders, consisting of EEEJ partner organizations and community-based organizations, are currently working with the Statewide CASE Team for the 2025 Code Cycle. Visit each organization’s website at the links below.
Stay Informed
To learn more about building codes, codes, our work, and how community-based organizations can participate in this process, sign up to get email updates on our EEEJ efforts:
Get Email Updates
The Statewide Codes and Standards Enhancement (CASE) Team periodically distributes email notifications that promote upcoming meetings, provide materials from past meetings, and update stakeholders on the progression of the California Energy Commission (CEC)’s rulemaking process. You can choose to receive measure-specific and/or general updates on these topics depending on your needs.
