Experts say much of the US, including the Northeast, are at risk of brown-outs during peak demand this summer, in large part due to soaring electricity demand from data centers. In the midst of this, the legislature is contemplating cutting our state’s energy efficiency program. Join us to learn how to speak truth to power and ensure an equitable energy package this session.
Our guest speaker is Mary Wambui. Mary Wambui is a regional leader in housing and energy equity, serving as the Director of Asset Management, Residents, and Energy at the Planning Office for Urban Affairs (POUA), a social justice ministry of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. A former Senior Greg Torres Fellow at MassINC, she brings deep expertise in community advocacy and policy design to her role as a Councilor on the Massachusetts Energy Efficiency Advisory Council (EEAC), where she represents residential consumers and co‑chairs the Energy Equity Working Group. Mary plays a key role in shaping Massachusetts’ clean energy transition through her work on the Grid Modernization Advisory Council’s Equity Working Group and her board service with the Massachusetts Energy Transformation Advisory Board, Green Energy Consumers Alliance, Climate Exchange, and the Coalition for a Better Acre. Her leadership has made her a trusted voice on issues of affordability, access, and justice. Outside of her policy work, Mary is a singer, songwriter, mentor, and active volunteer. Originally from Nairobi, Kenya, she is grounded in her faith and guided by the words, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”