Communities in energy transition: exploring best practices and decision support tools to provide equitable outcomes

Tarekegne, Bethel; Kazimierczuk, Kamila; O’Neil, Rebecca

doi:10.1007/s43621-022-00080-z

Title: Communities in energy transition: exploring best practices and decision support tools to provide equitable outcomes

Journal Article · 07 April 2022 · Discover Sustainability

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-022-00080-z · OSTI ID:1862094

Tarekegne, Bethel; Kazimierczuk, Kamila; O’Neil, Rebecca

Abstract The U.S. coal industry has been in a state of decline for the past decade, a trend ushered by flat electricity demand, increased regulatory pressure, and market competition from cost-competitive clean energy sources. The receding economic viability of the coal industry has been acutely felt by the communities with immediate economic ties to coal-fired generation. With the energy transition underway, the question of how to engage communities as stakeholders in the decision-making process and address their needs through an equitable and just transition remains unresolved. To that end, this paper explores the economic, environmental, and social challenges presented by the energy transition at the community level, highlighting four case studies from transitioning coal-dependent communities across the United States to ultimately identify best practices in coal plant decommissioning processes. This paper weaves these community-identified best practices into two support tools—a decommissioning checklist and a redevelopment decision-making framework—that can be used to engage communities in the power plant retirement decision, the site reclamation phase, and eventual redevelopment of the site and revitalization of the surrounding community.

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Research Organization:: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-76RL01830

OSTI ID:: 1862094

Report Number(s):: PNNL-SA-170152; 12; PII: 80

Journal Information:: Discover Sustainability, Journal Name: Discover Sustainability Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 3; ISSN 2662-9984

Publisher:: Springer Science + Business MediaCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: Country unknown/Code not available

Language:: English

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