Case Study: Equinor Empire Wind x Sports Power Clean Energy

Connecting Clean Energy Education, Youth Sports, and Future Careers

In the summer of 2023, Equinor's Empire Wind project partnered with Sports Power Clean Energy™ to demonstrate a new model for community engagement. Rather than relying on traditional outreach methods, the initiative used youth sports as the gateway to introduce families to clean energy careers, home energy education, and the emerging offshore wind industry. The program focused on communities across Long Island and Brooklyn, particularly neighborhoods identified as Disadvantaged Communities (DACs) under New York State's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).

The Challenge

The offshore wind industry represents one of New York's largest economic development opportunities, yet awareness within many frontline communities remained extremely low. Families who could benefit most from future workforce opportunities often had little or no understanding of the industry or the careers it could create.

The program confirmed this challenge through direct engagement. More than 90% of participating families reported they were unaware that the offshore wind industry even existed before attending the events.

The Solution

Sports Power Clean Energy™ created an engagement strategy built around a simple idea:

Clean Energy Education + Youth Sports = Next Generation Careers.

Instead of asking families to attend technical workforce meetings, the program met them where they already gathered, at local youth sports programs and community centers. Participants experienced interactive STEM activities, learned about clean energy technologies, explored career pathways, and received introductory education on:

• Home Energy Efficiency 101
• Offshore Wind 101

This approach transformed sports from simply a recreational activity into a platform for workforce awareness, family education, and community engagement.

Program Reach

During Summer 2023, four community activations were delivered across Long Island:

• Brentwood, La Espiguita
• Wyandanch, Family Life Center
• Long Beach, MLK Center
• Oceanside, Oil City Athletics

Collectively, the initiative engaged:

• 235 youth participants
• 163 households
• 62% of attendees from DAC communities
• 67% of participating households from DAC communities

The highest concentration of disadvantaged community participation occurred in Wyandanch, where 84% of attendees and 82% of households qualified as DAC residents. This demonstrated the program's ability to reach priority populations.

Beyond One Day Events

The initiative extended beyond community workshops by creating continued engagement opportunities. Participants and their families were invited to a Career Mentoring and Alumni Appreciation Night at Barclays Center, where student athletes connected with clean energy professionals, industry partners, and mentors while attending a Brooklyn Nets game. The experience reinforced the connection between education, networking, and long term career development.

Results and Lessons Learned

The program demonstrated that sports can serve as a powerful workforce development platform. By combining athletics, STEM education, and career awareness, the initiative successfully reached families that traditional workforce outreach often misses.

Several key insights emerged:

• Sports dramatically increased participation and community trust.
• Interactive learning made complex clean energy topics accessible to youth and parents.
• Workforce education proved most effective when introduced through familiar community environments.
• Data collected during the program provided measurable evidence that outreach successfully reached disadvantaged communities prioritized by New York's climate and equity goals.

Lasting Impact

The Equinor Empire Wind Summer 2023 initiative established a scalable model for clean energy community engagement. It demonstrated how industry partners can use youth sports to strengthen workforce pipelines while advancing public education, equity, and community benefit objectives.

As offshore wind, electrification, transmission, battery storage, and other clean energy sectors continue to grow, this model offers a replicable framework for connecting residents with future careers before opportunities pass them by. By meeting families where they already gather, Sports Power Clean Energy™ transformed community outreach into meaningful workforce development. The initiative created awareness today while preparing the next generation of clean energy professionals for tomorrow.

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