Kari Ross

Kari Ross advocates for the alleviation of household energy burdens in underserved communities in the Midwest through the advancement of energy efficiency, clean energy, utility affordability, and procedural justice policies at the local and state levels. Through regulatory, legislative, and government intervention, she prioritizes policy solutions that deliver environmental, health, and economic benefits to financially challenged Black and brown communities harmed most by the climate crisis. She collaborates closely with coalitions of partners at the intersection of affordable housing, energy, health, environmental justice, racial justice, and renter rights in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Missouri. Prior to her current role, Ross was an associate on the City Strategy & Engagement team for the American Cities Climate Challenge, a near four-year long project to support the 25 most ambitious U.S. cities in deepening and accelerating their climate mitigation and adaptation goals. Ross worked with a network of partners representing intersecting sectors to advance progressive transportation and building-energy policies. Before joining NRDC, she worked as an organizer on numerous electoral and environmental campaigns with Sierra Club and Environment Texas. Ross holds bachelor’s degrees in political science and international studies with concentrations in environmental policy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is based in NRDC's Chicago office.