As Election Day approaches, this Lunch & Learn breaks down how multiple levels of government shape the future of climate justice and decarbonization across the Midwest —

and why understanding these roles matters before voters head to the polls.

We’ll explore how:

• City councils approve or deny data‑center siting, zoning changes, tax incentives, and local infrastructure decisions that affect air quality, grid stress, and neighborhood stability.

• State House and Senate determine rate caps, utility regulations, building codes, and energy‑efficiency standards that directly impact household bills and community health.

• Governors appoint Public Utility Commissioners, who set energy rates, approve major projects, and influence the pace of decarbonization.

• U.S. House and U.S. Senate shape federal incentives, rebates, tax credits, and public‑investment programs that determine who pays for decarbonization and how benefits reach (or bypass) frontline communities.
  

Using a Midwest climate justice scorecard, we’ll cut through the noise and map the financial flows across the energy system — utilities, commissions, legislators, developers, and investors. Together, we’ll follow the money to understand how utility bills, incentives, rebates, tax credits, and ratepayer impacts shape clean air, affordability, and community power.

Participants will leave with clear tools to analyze trade‑offs, ask informed questions, and understand how energy decisions at every level of government connect to climate justice across the Midwest.