Our group formed after a coalition to develop community owned solar projects encountered barriers.  To build community power, coalition members organized a community energy forum to bring more residents into conversation about where their energy comes from, who controls it, who benefits, etc. We used popular education strategies and interpreters to facilitate conversation among Spanish-, Vietnamese-, and English-speaking communities about climate change and viable local alternatives to the current energy system. Afterwards, organizers agreed to continue the work and formed RENEW as a “chapter” of Co-op Power and as an independent grassroots energy democracy group. RENEW participated in the U.S. D.O.E. Sunshot initiative in partnership with Co-op Power and Resonant Energy. As a chapter of Co-op Power, our purpose is to build energy democracy through community-owned community-shared solar projects. As a grassroots group inspired by the energy forum that launched our organization, our purpose is to leverage our resources and community partnerships to build a movement for a local energy economy that centers the interests and needs of communities that have been excluded from the clean energy revolution and its various benefits.  We see ownership and control of energy assets as integral to building an economy anchored in solidarity.