Community engagement in large-scale solar siting processes: Developing a pilot model for assessing outcomes for solar projects in coal producing zones

Scholars, advocates, and diverse members of civil society celebrate the increasing pace of the energy sector’s transition towards decarbonized energy sources. Renewable energy projects are often described as not only providing global environmental benefits through climate mitigation, but also as having the potential to provide social and economic co-benefits through, for example, increased tax revenues and local jobs. In this research, we will investigate an Eastern Kentucky community’s experiences and perceptions of the economic and social impact of a large-scale solar project. We will develop a pilot methodology for assessing the full scope of county and regional-level impacts of a large scale solar (LSS) project on reclaimed mine land in Martin County. Understanding the potential of social and economic benefit provision in coal-dependent communities is particularly critical as the energy transition has specifically affected their economies and tax bases while the legacy of resource extraction, such as patterns of land ownership, formal and informal governance structures, and local labor skills, may influence the flow of benefits to these communities. Our goal is to develop an area of strategic excellence at the University of Kentucky in transdisciplinary research and outreach on community engagement in renewable energy siting processes and renewables planning processes more generally. We will specifically use the data and products from this e-RPA to apply for a Department of Energy, SEEDS4 grant, with awards of $1-7 million to study and develop recommendations on large-scale solar siting processes.