Stephanie Johnson

Stephanie, a Detroiter, became aware of energy inequalities in 2016 when she went into collections because of a DTE bill after losing her job. Fast forward to a few years later, and she was a dedicated activist in Soulardarity‘s “Work for Me DTE” campaign promoting affordability, health, community ownership, and good jobs through local clean energy. Stephanie’s commitment to bringing solutions to those affected and advocating for their voices in influential spaces has been unwavering, as she has courageously lent her own personal narrative as official testimony in legal interventions with the Michigan Public Service Commission and more. Her contributions were instrumental in challenging DTE’s extractive Prepay Program and Rate Hike proposals, leading to significant victories for ratepayers.

During her tenure as a fellow for the Soulardarity Community Organizing Collaborative (SCOC), Stephanie’s efforts in community outreach for the Communities LEAP initiative, a collaboration with the Department of Energy granted to the city, played a pivotal role in securing invaluable technical assistance for Highland Park, which will be crucial in steering the community towards a sustainable, renewable energy future. Last but not least, Stephanie is actively building local energy resiliency by introducing a toolkit of resources for launching a community-owned backup power supply in Southeast Michigan neighborhoods.

Stephanie has a B.A. from the University of Detroit and a Masters in Training and Development from Oakland University. She now serves as the Vice-chair on the Polar Bear Sustainable Energy (PBSE) Co-op board, which she joined during the pandemic with a personal goal of contributing and participating in Energy Democracy. Her professional experience ranges from IT to program management.