Mid-Hudson Energy Transition hires Jasmine Graham to be organization’s first permanent executive director

KINGSTON, NY – To help guide the widespread decarbonization efforts ramping up in the Hudson Valley, Mid-Hudson Energy Transition (MHET) announced today that it has hired Jasmine Graham to be its first permanent Executive Director. At MHET, Graham helms an organization poised to be a key leader in helping Hudson Valley communities provide equitable access to clean and healthy energy resources to their residents, especially low-income families and communities of color that disproportionately experience the most harmful effects of air pollution and climate change along with high energy costs. 

Graham comes to the non-profit organization with more than five years of leadership experience working to advance climate and environmental justice in the clean energy transition at the national level as well as in New York City and State. Most recently, she worked at the Building Decarbonization Coalition as the Senior Equity and Affordability Advisor, and prior to that served as the Energy Justice Policy Manager for WE ACT for Environmental Justice. Graham serves on New York City’s Local Law 97 Advisory Board, which develops recommendations that guide the city’s implementation of the most ambitious building decarbonization policy in the U.S. Graham also worked at Sustainable Westchester, where she managed New York State’s first community choice aggregation program, which is also the state’s largest. 

“I am thrilled to be joining Mid-Hudson Energy Transition at this incredibly exciting moment for Hudson Valley communities and for New York State overall,” said Graham. “Our clean energy transition is well underway and accelerating quickly. We can’t leave anyone behind on polluting and expensive fossil fuel systems. We have the tools, knowledge, experience, and community support to do this the right way in the Hudson Valley and set an example that the rest of New York State — and the nation — can follow.”

“The City of Kingston eagerly anticipates working with Jasmine and MHET to ensure our community choice aggregation program is a smashing success for all members of our community,” said Kingston Mayor Steve Noble. “Our CCA program has been designed to take a comprehensive look at our energy systems and thanks to our partnership with MHET, we’re now ready to take the next step forward to deliver lower monthly bills and cleaner energy supplies for our residents, as well as accelerate our community’s shift to healthier homes and buildings.”

Founded in 2021, MHET administers the community choice aggregation program for the City of Kingston, called Kingston Community Energy. CCAs are municipal-level clean energy programs that purchase bulk energy supplies on behalf of their customers, allowing them to access renewable energy resources often unavailable through their utility companies. Under Graham’s leadership, MHET will go beyond traditional CCA services. MHET envisions a CCA program that prioritizes equity and involvement for all, where community members join in planning and implementing affordable ways to free their homes of polluting fossil fuels, mold, lead, and other toxins, while also making them healthier, safer, more energy efficient, and cheaper to operate. The CCA will also design and advance shared renewable energy ownership programs, inclusive financing opportunities, and community wealth-building opportunities that allow everyone, including low-income families, to benefit. 

“Jasmine is a passionate advocate for a healthy, sustainable and just world, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring her leadership, professional expertise, and deep commitment to practical social change to Mid-Hudson Energy Transition at this incredibly urgent moment,” said Susan H. Gillespie, president of MHET’s Board of Directors. “As a Black, queer woman, Jasmine has lived experiences that enable her to deeply understand the problems of inequity and injustice in our region, and she has the experience and judgment to lead the work of making the needed change happen. An equitable clean energy transition means the communities that have suffered the most must be among the decision makers. Jasmine and all of us at MHET will work tirelessly to make that vision a reality in the Hudson Valley.”

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