Community Spotlight: Meet James Metoyer

This month, we are shining a light on an esteemed member of the Portland community, James Metoyer. James serves as a CEP Board Member and is the Founder and Executive Director of EnerCity Collaborative. James shared his background in clean energy, how climate change impacts frontline communities, the inspiration behind EnerCity Collaborative, and his role within CEP. 

Where did your journey in clean energy begin? Can you share a moment in your career when it clicked that you were on the right path?

My introduction into the energy efficiency industry began over three decades ago when I began working as a helper for my father’s HVAC company. I remember going into people’s homes and helping them repair their HVAC system. Keep in mind that this was in Louisiana and dealing with the humidity and heat in the summer could be a real health and safety issue for folks whose air-conditioning went out. It was hard work, but it had a profound effect on me as I was able to see the relief on peoples faces as soon as their air-conditioning was repaired. I will never forget how impactful that work was on people’s lives. Although I didn’t know it at the time, I was helping families make their homes healthier.

One of the most important things I’ve learned as an energy efficiency professional is that by making a home energy efficient, you also make it a healthier home. Making this connection was the “click” for me, and it changed the way I thought and talked about energy efficiency. Instead of prioritizing conversations about financial savings from reducing energy usage, I would engage in conversations with homeowners about the health benefits of weatherizing a home. Especially when I saw things that could be exacerbating the health issues of someone who is ill in the home. As this connection became clear to me, I’ve never looked back and have been on a path to educate communities on the connection between the two.

What is EnerCity Collaborative? What inspired you to create this organization?

EnerCity Collaborative (ECC) is a nonprofit and our mission is to ensure the financial, environmental, and health benefits of a clean energy economy are fully realized in Black, Indigenous, People of Color, underserved, and frontline communities.

ECC started as an idea and conversation with BIPOC and energy efficiency industry professionals that saw a need to create a more collaborative world to meet the needs of our community. During those initial discussions, we envisioned ECC as a hub for the community to share resources, build strong relationships, and assist in building a sustainable, healthy, and thriving community for all.

What are some climate and equity issues you have encountered in the Portland community and how will ECC work to implement solutions?

Climate change is expected to disproportionately affect low-income communities least responsible for climate change emissions. ECC serves populations and organizations representing low-income people and people of color. Historically, these populations have had less access to the benefits of green investments while also being disproportionately vulnerable to extreme heat, wildfire smoke, vector-borne diseases, flooding, and other climate-related impacts. At ECC we want to educate those communities on how to protect themselves from environmental hazards while showing them how to gain access to environmental benefits for all, regardless of income, race, and other characteristics. 

ECC also serves historically disenfranchised people who are chronically underemployed, connecting them to workforce and contractor development projects. These community members have yet to have equitable access to workforce and contractor opportunities associated with the clean economy. ECC seeks to help develop a diverse and well-trained workforce and contractor pool in the clean energy field, which requires reaching these populations and addressing the barriers that have prevented their full participation.

How did you get involved with Community Energy Project? What is your role at CEP?

My work with CEP began over a decade ago when I was just starting out in the energy efficiency industry. I volunteered my time and worked with CEP staff to help low-income homeowners weatherize their homes. I believe the work CEP is doing has helped empower people to address the issues they have in their homes related to health, comfort, and safety. My current role with CEP is acting board member to help guide their mission and vision toward creating clean energy programs, healthy home programs, and equitable outcomes for their clients.

How can Community Energy Project and ECC work together to make lasting change in Portland?

ECC and CEP look to continue supporting each other and discovering new ways to collaborate on the many climate justice programs seeking to build more resilient communities for BIPOC, low-income, and underserved communities.