The OakTREE Initiative

Building Energy Democracy

From vision to reality: Creating a just and inclusive transition to renewable energy by enabling everyone to own and shape our energy future.

The OakTREE Initiative brings communities together through an innovative energy-sharing system by connecting homes and businesses within the same block to create community wealth building assets, we're making sustainable solutions accessible to communities that have historically been left out of the clean energy transition.

Eight Connected Solutions

At the heart of OakTREE are eight community-owned components that work together to build lasting neighborhood wealth. Communities can start with core pieces and expand their ownership over time.

Creating Community Wealth

When neighbors own and share resources like heat pumps, solar heating, and greenhouses through our energy network, the benefits stay local:

Accessibility

  • Energy costs lower than natural gas

  • Reduced capital costs through shared infrastructure

  • Cost-effective deployment model for underserved communities

Community Control

  • Local ownership and operation of infrastructure

  • Strengthened neighborhood interdependence

  • "Right to Repair" approach enables community maintenance

  • Economic benefits stay within the community

Economic Benefits

  • Career opportunities in design, deployment, and operations

  • New business creation in energy, food production, and processing

  • Local wealth generation and retention

Workforce Development

  • Focus on skills with faster training paths (like plumbing) vs more time-intensive credentials (like electrical)

  • Low barriers to entry for career paths

  • Clear advancement pathways within the OakTREE ecosystem

  • Skills that serve both immediate community needs and broader career growth

Simplified Regulation

  • Direct neighborhood heat distribution

  • Fewer regulatory hurdles than electrical utilities

Growth Potential

  • Thousands of potential sites in Oakland

  • Nationwide scaling potential

  • Multiple community benefits:

    • Clean energy resilience

    • Local organic food production and distribution

    • Community stability through economic opportunity

Our Three Core Components

  • Think of this as your neighborhood's energy backbone. It's a way for nearby homes and businesses to share clean heating and cooling, just like sharing a community garden. Here's what makes it special:

    • Links nearby buildings together to share energy resources

    • Uses our special solar technology (called AirPane) to make heating and cooling more affordable

    • Makes your heating and cooling system work smarter, not harder

    • Lets the community control their own energy needs

    • Helps neighbors save money on energy bills, keeping those savings in the community

  • Imagine a greenhouse that does more than just grow plants – it's a year-round food-growing powerhouse that your community owns together:

    • Grows as much food as eight regular farms of the same size

    • Saves water by using 80% less than regular farming

    • Keeps plants healthy while using very few pesticides

    • Works with the energy network to share extra heat

    • Provides fresh, local food for your community all year long

  • This is where neighbors become experts in running their own clean energy systems. Think of it as a "teach one, teach many" approach:

    • Shows community members how to plan and design their energy future

    • Teaches practical skills for keeping everything running smoothly

    • Creates good local jobs right away

    • Helps neighbors become clean energy experts

    • Puts the community in charge of their energy future

Starting Your Community’s Journey

Every neighborhood is unique, and OakTREE adapts to fit your vision for community ownership. Starting with our demonstration site in West Oakland, we're creating a blueprint for communities nationwide to build and own their clean energy future.