Tackling poverty is no small feat, especially when it comes to energy affordability.
In 2021, former Baltimore Ravens cornerback Gary Baxter recognized the devastating impact the storm had on minority communities following Winter Storm Uri, which left Texans without power for as many as seven days. As such, he was inspired to learn more about the American energy infrastructure.
Now back in his native Texas, the 45-year-old who spent six seasons in the NFL now spends his days channeling his energy and passion into efforts to reduce poverty by providing reliable energy options that can enhance the overall quality of life for minority communities.
“I realized that something was terribly wrong and that is what got my attention and said, ‘What can be done? What can we do?’ And just try to figure out who suffers from a loss like this. The impact was very devastating,” Baxter said on Glenn Clark Radio Feb. 21.
In an effort to address this, Baxter launched the Energy and Poverty Awareness Center (EnPAC). A non-profit initiative, EnPAC focuses on reliability and affordability of energy for minorities because of the disproportionate impact the loss of energy has on minority communities.
With awareness serving as a main focal point of his mission, Baxter feels the time is now to break down the barriers that create energy inequalities in communities across the U.S.
“A lot of minority communities really get disconnected from power because they can’t afford it,” Baxter said. “The energy cost is too much and one of things that we want to look at is how do we lower the energy costs? How do we have reliable and affordable energy as we make energy transition? So we have to factor in all of these things and we don’t want a repeat of Winter Storm Uri to happen to any community.”
Baxter believes this endeavor is rooted in the fight to find proven energy options.
“You need more options on the table and those options that you have on the table can make it to where it is reliable and affordable,” Baxter said.
Identifying these options is the real challenge. In an effort to raise awareness, Baxter made his way back to Maryland in January to officially launch EnPAC at the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel. He is committed to dismantling systemic barriers that perpetuate energy poverty among minority communities.
Baxter believes appropriate planning and preparation are critical first steps to secure energy sources during unprecedented events.
“No one can ever predict Mother Nature, so with that being said, when I went into a game we didn’t go in with one play. We had a lot of audibles,” Baxter said. “And we had things [where] if one thing didn’t work then we had a backup.”
That same methodology needs to be applied when making tangible commitments to eliminating barriers. The ability to develop customized solutions tailored to unique circumstances can mean the difference between life and death. Baxter believes that fight is more critical now than ever.
“After Winter Storm Uri, we saw there were almost 290-something deaths within a span of seven days,” Baxter said. “… This is serious and this is something we don’t want to happen in any community.”
For more from Baxter, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Baltimore Ravens