Thursday, June 13th at 11 AM ET via Zoom
Guest Speakers:
- Robert Kell, the New Economy Program Manager for Appalachian Voices. Robert discussed findings from a new report that highlights perspectives on low-carbon energy technologies from coalfield leaders and local government officials in Southwest Virginia. Additionally, the report discusses various paths communities can take to transition their energy and describes best practices for participatory community engagement such as community benefit agreements. Robert covered the work to engage a diverse group of stakeholders in the new solar industry, supporting community engagement, creating an action plan and establishing financing as part of the The Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia.
About Community Benefits:
This call was a part of our monthly Appalachian Community Benefit Network Call series, a space for the growing conversation around community benefits in the Appalachian region. These calls are the second Thursday of each month at 11 am ET and include a presentation followed by time for networking, discussing questions and sharing resources around community benefits.
As part of the unprecedented climate and energy infrastructure investments launched by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), some funding awardees are now required to implement Community Benefits Plans (CBPs) as a condition for receiving their grants and loans. In addition, Community Benefit Agreements, Project Labor Agreements, Good Neighbor Agreements remain important tools for communities hoping to ensure that new projects bring value to their communities, land, and workers.
This new policy comes with many challenges and opportunities, not least in that we are still learning what these plans could and should include for our communities.