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Black energy industry professionals concerned about the vulnerability of low-income minorities to supply and price volatility want to have a greater say in the distribution of fuel, electricity and other energy sources.

"Energy is probably one of the most important topics at this time," said Wilton Cedeno, chairman of the board of directors for the American Association of Blacks in Energy. "It is not true to say these issues are not relevant to African Americans and they are not involved."

The organization and N.C. A&T co-sponsored a conference in Greensboro on Thursday to discuss initiatives and a possible partnership that would offer mentoring and provide scholarships and internships to engineering students.

The association formed in 1977 as a way for blacks to network and expand their opportunities for careers in the energy sector. Members now are tackling environmental and social justice concerns as fuel and electricity become more expensive and some scientists attribute severe weather in the United States and Africa to climate change.

For example, unemployment among U.S. blacks outpaced that of whites immediately after the Middle East oil embargo during the 1970s, said Leslie Fields, director of environmental justice for the Sierra Club.

And families earning $10,000 or less per year spend about 29 percent of their income on energy costs, compared to 4 percent for families earning more than $50,000, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Low-income households and small businesses could also suffer lost wages and revenue, disruptions in mass transit and health problems if extended electricity outages occur similar to those in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, said Morry Davis of Peabody Energy, the world's largest private coal company.

Creating policies that equitably distribute resources will be key to overcoming these challenges, Davis said.

"If this doesn't happen correctly, this will have a profoundly negative impact on the African American community," Davis said. "How do we make this an even playing field for everyone?"

Some companies and organizations are trying to take a proactive approach toward rising energy prices, including building small, energy efficient homes or providing free or discounted compact fluorescent light bulbs for low-income families. Congress has also made available $50 million in research funding to groups that serve minority communities.

The Raleigh-based N.C. Sustainable Energy Association will also hold a fall forum to discuss training opportunities to offset an anticipated skilled labor shortage in energy efficiency and renewable fuels industries, said Steve Fountain, program manager.

But conservation and sacrifice will be key, some said.

"It takes a lot of knowledge and resources to be involved in renewable fuels," said Abolghasem Shahbazi, program director for the biological engineering department at A&T. "But it doesn't take a lot of knowledge and resources to be involved in energy conservation."

Contact Morgan Josey Glover at 373-7078 or morgan.josey@news-record.com