Coal Redevelopment

You may be a concerned citizen talking to neighbors. Perhaps you are a pastor of a church with activist members. Perhaps you are a city councilperson.  You want to get started on community planning to redevelop a decommissioned coal plant site.  Think through possible steps that make sense for your community.  Here’s one approach:

1. Establish the Planning Committee – You will likely want to start your redevelopment initiative by forming a planning committee. Holding an initial community meeting is an essential first step. You should start at least two months before your proposed event date – three months is better (and longer than that, even better still). When forming the planning committee, yourYou will likely want to start your redevelopment initiative by forming a planning committee. Holding an initial community meeting is an essential first step. You should start at least two months before your proposed event date – three months is better (and longer than that, even better still). When forming the planning committee, your group should look beyond your ranks to include others. They can be allies from the past, who have many connections and partners within the community, but must include new voices who have partnerships and connections previously untapped.  This is particularly important to discussion of development priorities that can lead to good jobs represented by labor unions, with benefits and a living wage, and protections – like environmental protections –  for the community. There should be representatives from various sectors of the community. See Chapter 3, Section 5 – regulation & Oversight

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2. Identify and Include  Diverse Stakeholders – Nobody does this alone – not city hall, developers, or environmental organizations. Utility sites are big; they offer the potential for job creation and new wealth; the clean-up may bear risks associated with pollution, and many different groups may own parts and pieces of the site – railroads, other utilities, and so forth.  You need everyone at the table because the redevelopment process is so complex.  You need activists, experts, laypeople, and elected officials. The more people you have on board with a collective vision, the more people you have on the team to overcome redevelopment challenges. 

Department of Energy scoring takes the diversity of stakeholders into account.

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Stanford University’s “Justice40 Policy Lab” includes the following suggestions for participants:

• [Community-based organizations representing local residents and businesses
• Community Action Agency for weatherization upgrades
• Chambers of Commerce
• Economic Development Partnerships
• Faith-based organizations
• Economic and workforce development organizations
• Building and Construction Trade Councils
• Central Labor Councils
• State Labor Federations
• Workforce development boards
• Local economic development agencies
• Chambers of Commerce
• Federal, Tribal, state, and local decision-making bodies
• County governments
• State energy office
• Private sector actors
• Wholesale power supplier
• Inventory supply vendors / partners
• Car dealers
• HVAC contractors
• Solar installers
• EV charging station manufacturers
• Industry and technical experts
• Members of Gridwise Alliance
• Members of the Smart Electric Power Association
• Environmental non-governmental organizations
• Sustainable energy association
• In-state members of the U.S. Climate Action Network
• Entities focused on education, public health and safety, and/or community planning
• Community colleges
• Emergency response agencies

3. Create a Coalition –A coalition is a group of organizations that come together to work toward a common goal or set of goals. As a collective, they gain more power and influence than any individual organization could attain alone. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to coalitions, and they can take many forms. Utilizing coalitions can be a powerful mechanism for enacting and maintaining positive changes in your community.

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4. Establish Leadership – Ideally, the leader is a recognized, trusted person who holds a certain amount of respect in the local community, especially among municipal staff. Whoever has this position will need to take ownership of the planning process. An early phase of the planning process includes assessing the internal capacity and locating opportunities to bring in external expertise. These activities should happen as soon as the municipality becomes aware of the closure. By doing so, you will create the smoothest transition possible. You will also increase consensus, improve comprehensive data collection and analysis, and ultimately improve community outcomes.

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5. Evaluating Internal Capacity and Partnerships – Project teams can begin by drawing in municipal staff members with high-priority skill sets such as knowledge of zoning, redevelopment experience, grant writing, and community outreach. In some cases, bringing in outside grant writers to build capacity may be very helpful. See Chapter 3 , Section 5 – Regulation & Oversight

Above all, be sure to work very closely with the economic development leaders serving your community.  For Appalachian communities, that is your Local Development District <<Link to list>>.  States have economic development districts.  Cities will have regional development entities.  City Hall will have an economic development department. These professionals work together on economic development all the time, and know how the various systems work and where to get funding for specific activities. Key leadership may be drawn from:

• State and local government officials
• Non-profit entities, especially housing authorities and community action programs
• Local Media
• Parishes and congregations
• Municipal leaders 
• Business stakeholders
• Developers and real estate buyers
• Environmental groups and analysts
• Workers
• Community members
• Advocacy organizations

See Delta Institute’s Redevelopment Roadmap for a more detailed outline of potential stakeholders and their ideal skill sets throughout the redevelopment process. An outside facilitator may be helpful.

The Pennsylvania Department of Commerce coal plant playbooks give good examples of redevelopment scenarios for several plants in Pennsylvania.  Considering these scenarios in a visioning session can help get people thinking about what is possible:

Many case studies have been written about the redevelopment of coal plant sites, and there are many case studies of how it has been done.

• https://dced.pa.gov/coal-fired-power-plant-redevelopment-playbooks/ 
• https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/former-coal-plant-sites-get-second-life-with-energy-storage-systems
• https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/15/climate/coal-plants-renewable-energy.htm
• lhttps://penncapital-star.com/energy-environment/new-life-for-old-coal-minelands-and-power-plants-are-hot-renewable-development-spots/ 
• The Centralia Model (Ohio River Valley Institute) 
• Coal Power Plant Post-Retirement Option
• Old plants, new ideas: Who might buy a retired coal power unit? – WyoFile 
• https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-25/ai-needs-so-much-power-that-old-coal-plants-are-sticking-around 
• Solutions for Transitioning Coal-Dependent Communities – Headwaters Economics 
• Working Toward a Just Transition for Coal Communities  
• https://delta-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/In-Transition-Stories-From-Coal-Plant-Communities-Delta-Institute-Aug-2017.pdf 

This video on a community-based approach offers a new way of thinking about redevelopment:

Eco-industrial park – This term refers to industrial parks with a “green” approach to infrastructure and development.

Circular manufacturing – This strategy involves the reuse of worn-out or discarded products. Today, even the largest companies like Michelin Tires and Siemens are getting into the recycling and reuse business because it is cost-effective.  Reuse and recycling of many products are growing industries and can help mitigate mitigate climate chaos.