Intersections of Disadvantaged Communities and Renewable Energy Potential: Analyses to Inform Equitable Investment Prioritization
Renewable energy development can bolster local economies through job creation, local tax revenues, and reduced energy costs; however, communities most in need of economic development and employment opportunities often see lower levels of renewable energy deployment. Megan Day and Liz Ross, along with their co-authors and supported by NREL's Sustainable Communities Catalyzer, identified areas where disadvantaged community indicators intersect with high potential for renewable energy deployment. Through a geospatial intersection of energy burden, environmental hazard, and sociodemographic data with the technical generation potential and levelized cost of energy for multiple renewable energy technologies, we identified trends across disadvantaged community indicators and renewable energy deployment potential. Combining metrics across several tools, including the State and Local Planning for Energy (SLOPE) platform, the Low-Income Energy Affordability (LEAD) tool, and the Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping (EJSCREEN) tool, we compiled a dataset that can be used to inform national- and state-level energy-related assistance programs, economic development efforts, and infrastructure programs seeking to prioritize investments in disadvantage communities.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis (JISEA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 1843348
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/PR-6A50-81527; MainId:82300; UUID:3e67f9ed-80f8-4207-8d7e-5dd252bb27ca; MainAdminID:63407
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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