This presentation will showcase the panelists’ experience with two grant-funded demonstration projects: the California Energy Commission (CEC) Advance Energy Community (AEC) challenge and the Strategic Growth Council (SGC) Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) project. Panelists will present insights on the equitable decarbonization of existing residential buildings for low-income and disadvantaged communities. They will offer comprehensive overviews of their grant-funded demonstration projects, from outreach and participant engagement to the installation and funding/financing of the projects. By detailing the barriers to an equitable energy transition and identifying exciting funding, policy, business, and regulatory opportunities, the presentation will inspire communities to replicate and scale up solutions for equity and environmental justice. The team of nonprofits will use the AEC and TCC project case studies to highlight program designs and outreach and engagement strategies that lead with equity. The energy transition must not ignore existing low-income single family homes, as engaging these residents is an important way to empower the community. Local renewable energy and other distributed energy resources (DERs) can provide disadvantaged communities with safer and more comfortable homes while protecting against extreme climate events and ever-increasing utility bills. The session will show that with a holistic approach, equitable decarbonization is possible now. These case studies highlight that community organizing and a participatory process are necessary for solutions to work, regardless of scale, and that uplifting a community for an equitable energy transition is difficult and complicated. The presentation will highlight effective strategies for designing programs and public-private partnerships that leverage funding and build policies to scale up residential resiliency and decarbonization. An equitable and just energy transition starts with homes that protect us from polluting fossil fuels and the impacts of climate change. The presentation demonstrates successful paths to invest in our communities and to accelerate the adoption of local renewables and home decarbonization in low-income and disadvantaged communities.