Powering Our Communities: What Do We Owe Each Other?
Blog written by Marqus Cole, Esq., Organizing Director for Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL). Marqus is pictured above with Emory University students following a GIPL Advocacy Workshop hosted by their campus Sunrise Movement chapter.
On the morning of the day you are reading this, I likely woke up before sunrise. I turned on a light switch in the kitchen to prepare my children’s breakfast and lunch. I sat down at my desk to make a to-do list in the light of my lamp. I hit the start button on my coffee maker.
Each Friday evening, Saturday morning, and Sunday, people of faith across Georgia power their houses of worship—flipping on lights, adjusting thermostats, and activating microphones—all to prepare for sacred time and sacred space.
Electricity is not just a commodity; it is the unseen current that connects us. And as we find ourselves in the middle of Georgia’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) process, people of faith must recognize that we are all implicated in how we power our society.
The question is not whether we power our neighborhoods, but what do we owe one another and our shared sacred home when it comes to powering our communities?
What we are coming to see more clearly in this IRP process is that Georgia Power is choosing to overbuild dirty fossil fuels and undercut clean, renewable energy. That means higher profits for shareholders and also higher costs for families and congregations. It means more pollution in vulnerable communities and less investment in the sustainable future we need.
At GIPL, our vision is clear: REDUCE the amount of energy we need, ensure that the energy we use is RENEWABLE, and build communities that are RESILIENT in the face of extreme weather.
But this work is not just about policy. It is about people.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, after Elijah’s bold prophetic work, his most lasting success was raising up Elisha—a leader who received a double portion of his spirit. Elijah did not just fight battles in his own time; he built leadership for the future.
Likewise, GIPL is not just focused on “winning” this IRP cycle. We are cultivating something deeper—faith leaders across Georgia who will raise their voices not just today but also next year and three years from now when the next IRP begins. We are seeding a movement of people who will not be silent when powerful interests put profit over people.
Across faith traditions, the imagery of seeds and trees is more than poetry—it is an organizing truth. “Being fruitful and multiplying” is not about personal triumph; it is about ensuring that future generations are blessed. The seeds we plant today—through advocacy, education, and action—must grow into a more just and sustainable tomorrow.
GIPL’s goals in this IRP cycle are clear and practical: reducing energy burden as a matter of justice, protecting Georgia’s air and water from coal pollution, and curbing the expansion of methane gas plants that fuel climate change and put our communities at risk. But beyond policy, we are sowing something greater—a vision for a Georgia where energy is clean, affordable, and resilient.
I was heartened as I sat in the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) hearing room this week, listening to public comments when, for nearly an hour, young person after young person stepped forward to speak truth to power—like the prophets of old.
Some actually quoted the prophets.
Some quoted song lyrics.
Some simply pleaded for the chance to raise their families in a cleaner, more just future.
All carried the torch of leadership forward.
Now is the time to follow in their footsteps.
The PSC needs to hear from you. They need to hear that faith communities in Georgia care about how our energy choices impact our neighbors, our economy, and our environment. Will you join us? We are gathering the voices of our community crying out for justice and care for our shared sacred home. You can add your voice to the choir by taking action below.
The question is not whether we power our neighborhoods, but what do we owe one another and our shared sacred home when it comes to powering our communities?
