Raya Salter (she/they) is an attorney, consultant, educator and clean energy law and policy expert with a focus on energy and climate justice. Raya is the founder of the Energy Justice Law and Policy Center and a member of the New York State Climate Action Council, the body that developed New York's plan to implement its nation leading climate law. 

 

Raya is an environmental justice advisor to the House Oversight Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee and has testified twice before congress about environmental justice and big oil misinformation (her big oil testimony went viral after she stood her ground against GOP attacks).

 

Raya is an adjunct professor of law at Cardozo Law School and has written widely on energy policy. Her book "Energy Justice, Domestic and International Perspectives" was released by Edward Elgar in 2018. 

 

Raya was named one of the "Energy and the Environment Power 100" by City and State New York Magazine in 2020 and 2021. In 2021 she was honored by New York Lawyers for the Public Interest with the Fishman Access to Justice Award. Raya was named a "Climate Hero" by the Human Impacts Institute in 2019.

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Ms. Salter is an experienced climate justice movement lawyer and advocate, having practiced energy law and regulation in multiple jurisdictions, including New York and Hawaii. In previous roles, Raya was the Lead Policy Organizer for the NY Renews Climate Justice Coalition, a Senior Attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council and  a Regulatory Attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund. 

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Ms. Salter serves as Board Member for EESI and on the Advisory Boards of Evergreen Action, Our Climate and the Initiative for Climate Risk and Resilience Law, a joint initiative of Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Environmental Defense Fund, the Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University School of Law, and Vanderbilt Law School. She also serves on the Coalition for Green Capital Environmental Justice Advisory Board.

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Raya is also a climate and energy content creator and media host. She is a host with Facing Future TV and produced programs at COP 26 and COP 27. She has produced and been featured as an expert host, advocate and storyteller in print, online and television, including national advertisements for Verizon.

 

Prior to becoming an environmental advocate, Raya worked as a regulatory attorney at the law firm of Dewey & LeBoeuf in New York City, representing energy industry participants in matters relating to regulation by state public utility commissions and federal agencies, transactions involving energy assets, participation in organized electric markets and inter and intra-state transmission.

 

Before becoming a lawyer, Ms. Salter worked in community-based organizations teaching technology to youth and adults and developing summer and after school programming.

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Ms. Salter has a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and a B.A. in economics from Wesleyan University.

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