By Redacción
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A new digital ad campaign by Levanta Tu Voz, an initiative led by the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), has brought attention to the concerns of the Latino community regarding California’s energy policies.
Under the slogan “Sustainability Matters,” the campaign urges elected officials to ensure that energy policies are fair and equitable for all residents of the state.
The initiative aims to amplify the voices of small business owners, agricultural workers, manufacturers, and day laborers, who are among those most affected by the state’s push toward electrification. The campaign’s core message is that while these policies are well-intentioned, they are advancing too quickly and are too costly for working Latino families.
Argelia León, WSPA’s Director of Strategic Partnerships and Southwest Policy, emphasized the need to balance environmental and economic priorities. “For months, we’ve traveled across the state to listen to our Latino communities. They agree that addressing climate change is essential, but they also ask that energy policies not create an unfair financial burden. Environmental sustainability is important, but so is economic sustainability,” León said.
These concerns have been acknowledged by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which warned that clean energy mandates could disproportionately impact working-class communities. In particular, households earning less than $100,000 annually could see a reduction in personal income due to rising costs associated with the energy transition.
The “Sustainability Matters” campaign has successfully highlighted the voices of real people facing these challenges. “Latinos are sending a clear message to our leaders: their energy policies must be inclusive and not come at the expense of working families,” León stressed.
Levanta Tu Voz also aims to empower the Latino community, which makes up 40% of California’s population, to take an active role in the conversation on the state’s energy policies. However, a recent survey reveals that many Latinos, along with 84% of Californians overall, feel their concerns about energy policies are not being heard by lawmakers.
Verónica Corona, president of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce (CHCC), supported the campaign, highlighting its importance to the Latino business community. “Few issues are as critical to California’s Latino business owners as the state’s energy policies. At CHCC, which represents 800,000 businesses, we proudly support Levanta Tu Voz to urge our elected officials to assess the impact of these policies on our working communities,” Corona stated.
Luis Ramírez, vice president of the Nisei Farmers League, echoed similar concerns. “One of the biggest challenges for agricultural workers is the mandate on electric vehicles,” Ramírez said. “These are hardworking people whose main goals are saving money, buying a home, or sending their kids to college. Buying an electric vehicle is not their priority. We invite lawmakers to visit the Central Valley and see firsthand how these policies affect the workers who put food on our tables.”
The Levanta Tu Voz campaign has made available testimonial videos, fact sheets, and other resources on its official website, www.levantatuvoz.org/es/resources/.
