Making a brighter future come true
We believe that all beings have a right to dream and create new worlds in which they thrive.
Our practice is rooted in love for the planet and all beings that share the earth system. We work with clients committed to transcending current approaches to energy development and laying the foundation for a transformed and just energy future.
Shalanda H. Baker
Shalanda Baker is a visionary leader and trailblazer in energy, environmental, and climate justice. She is an internationally recognized leader in the global clean energy transformation. As the Founder and Principal of Earthseed Consulting Group, she brings nearly two decades of deep expertise in advancing equitable solutions for communities at the forefront of climate change and energy transitions.
Founder & Principal of Earthseed Consulting Group.
Visionary leadership for environmental, energy, and climate justice
She is dedicated to advancing innovative, justice-centered solutions that address climate change and promote just energy futures for all communities.
Under Shalanda's leadership, Earthseed Consulting Group is redefining the future of sustainability. Join us in building a world where justice and equity are the foundation for sustainable change.
Shalanda H. Baker
Globally recognized scholar, energy policy expert, and change agent.
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A U.S. Air Force veteran and legal scholar, Shalanda has dedicated her career to reshaping energy policy to prioritize justice and equity.
Her groundbreaking work includes Serving as the nation’s first Deputy Director for Energy Justice and the Senate-confirmed Director of the Office of Energy Justice and Equity at the U.S. Department of Energy in the Biden-Harris Administration.
There, she served as the architect of the Justice40 policy framework, a transformative initiative to ensure that 40% of the benefits of federal clean energy investments flow to disadvantaged communities.
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Shalanda’s academic contributions span prestigious institutions, including Northeastern University, the University of Hawai'i and the University of Michigan, where she currently serves as the inaugural Vice Provost for Sustainability and Climate Action.
Her research and advocacy have consistently championed the rights of marginalized communities, ensuring they are central to the global shift toward clean energy.
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She is also the author of Revolutionary Power: An Activist’s Guide to the Energy Transition, a seminal work that reimagines energy policy as a platform to advance civil rights.
The book underscores the urgent need for a just and equitable clean energy transition, and the need to center community and frontline voices in the transition.
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Shalanda’s dedication to justice is not only reflected in her professional achievements but also in her role as a co-founder of the Initiative for Energy Justice, which provides legal and policy support to vulnerable communities.
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Guided by the principles of environmental justice and inspired by Octavia E. Butler, Shalanda envisions a world where future energy systems honor the sacred, transcend current systems of oppression, and catalyze broader systems change.
Her work is rooted in the deeply-held belief that the current energy system is inherently unsustainable, and must yield to new ways and new systems rooted in justice.
Earthseed is a practice and a catalyst for broader systems change. Earthseed reflects her deep commitment to creating just energy futures for all communities, especially historically marginalized and overburdened communities.
Shalanda H. Baker’s public presentations
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Shalanda Baker and the energy crisis plaguing Black and brown Americans.
"These are choices. There's nothing inevitable about how you set things up," said Shalanda Baker, the deputy director for energy justice at the ...”
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Creating Equity in Energy for People of Color
“Amid this shifting landscape, Shalanda Baker sees a chance to make a positive difference as the Department of Energy's first-ever deputy ...”
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The Conversation: Maui Flooding Response Continues
“Law professor Shalanda Baker spoke on The Conversation five years ago about the failed merger between HECO and NextEra. Now she is ...”
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The Latest Books and Reports Covering Environmental Racism and Justice
“In it, Shalanda Baker tells the stories of those who have been left behind, drawing from her experience as an energy-justice advocate, a lawyer…”
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Two pioneers chart paths to energy justice
“The other speaker, Shalanda Baker, runs an institute and teaches ways to organize around fair siting, pricing and regulating of solar. For both ...”
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It's Not Inevitable That This Will Be Unjust: A Q&A With Shalanda Baker On Energy Justice
“... the fight for racial justice, Shalanda Baker argues that it's a critical part of ... Baker sat down with WBUR to discuss energy justice and her new...”
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Shalanda Baker is bringing her energy justice mission to the Biden administration
“Shalanda Baker, professor of law, public policy and urban affairs, has joined President Biden's administration as deputy director for energy ...”
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Northeastern professor Shalanda Baker enters new role in Biden administration
“For Shalanda Baker, her new role as deputy director for energy justice in the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the Department of ...”
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Surprise: Societal Scholars Could Drive Climate Policy
“Flegal is among a handful of new appointees with similar backgrounds, including Shalanda Baker, the deputy director for energy justice at the ...”
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AP Interview: DOE reviving loan program, Granholm says
“Shalanda Baker, deputy director for energy justice and Granholm's equity adviser, will lead the effort, targeting disadvantaged communities that ...”
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This Biden Appointee Is Bringing Justice To Green Energy
“Shalanda Baker, deputy director for energy justice at the U.S. Department of Energy and law professor on leave at Northeastern University in ...”
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TRANSITION: Biden announces senior DOE staff -- Thursday, January 21, 2021
“Shalanda Baker, deputy director for energy justice. Baker was most recently a professor of law, public policy and urban affairs at Northeastern ... ”
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Energy and Climate Justice | Wisconsin Energy Institute
“Shalanda H. Baker is a Professor of Law, Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University. She has spent over a decade conducting ...”
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Why energy justice is a rising priority for policymakers
“U.S. DOE's Shalanda Baker explains how energy justice can help. Share.”
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A truly clean energy system runs on a clean conscience
“Shalanda Baker: About a decade ago, I started writing about the structure of large clean energy projects and how they can lead to undesirable ...”
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Power and the energy revolution
“Shalanda H. Baker is my guest today on Inside Ideas. Last week she was appointed the Deputy Director for Energy Justice at the U.S. ...”
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The Principles and Tools of Revolutionary Power
“The new book by Shalanda H. Baker, published by Island Press. In it, Baker offers a playbook that empowers people of color ...”
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Justice First: How to Make the Clean Energy Transition Equitable
“When Shalanda Baker stopped in Oaxaca, Mexico in 2009 to brush up on her Spanish before heading to Colombia, she didn't realize it would ...”
In Conversation with Shalanda Baker: Equity & Justice in the Energy Transition
Bookings
Shalanda H. Baker is available for public speaking engagements. She is passionate about sharing her insights on energy justice, climate action, and sustainability with audiences around the world.
Shalanda's unique perspective and expertise make her a sought-after speaker and thought leader. If you are interested in booking a talk for your next event, please fill out the form.