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Recapping ReImagine Appalachia’s Second Annual Shuttered Coal Plant Summit

By October 28, 2024November 1st, 2024No Comments

ReImagine Appalachia’s Second Annual Shuttered Coal Plant Summit aimed to explore the opportunities for redeveloping the shuttered coal plant sites located throughout the Appalachian region. Throughout the summit, the importance of including labor and seeking community input were underscored as a means of creating good jobs and rooting the prosperity generated by redevelopment within local communities. Though redeveloping brownfields present a number of challenges, Appalachia’s shuttered coal plants also offer valuable assets that could support the future of sustainable manufacturing in the region. 




The summit kicked off with a plenary session moderated by Joanne Kilgour, Executive Director at the Ohio River Valley Institute. Joanne opened the event with an overview of coal plant closure in the region and the associated loss of jobs. While there are exciting new development opportunities for these sites, it is also important to acknowledge the grief, anger, and hardship communities have faced in the wake of coal plant closures. By acknowledging the shortcomings of the past, the devastation of job loss, the lack of transparency and the absence of adequate transition support, we can aim to do better now and redevelop these sites in a way that captures the highest and best use as outlined by and for surrounding communities.



Adam Walters, Senior Energy Advisor at the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, then spoke about how exactly shuttered coal plant sites can be an asset to communities as well as a means of achieving decarbonization goals moving forward. Adam introduced the Coal-Fired Power Plant Redevelopment Playbooks which were written by the PADCED over the past few years to explore the development opportunities at six shuttered sites around Pennsylvania. These playbooks are an invaluable resource to other groups looking to understand the ins and outs of site redevelopment from the initial site assessment phases and planning through remediation. The Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites Program (PA SITES) is another resource Adam shared with the group. This program provides loan funding for site readiness and redevelopment that helps businesses expand within the state.

Alongside understanding the challenges and assets presented by every unique shuttered coal plant site, Jim Harrison, Director of Renewable Energies for the Utility Workers Union of America, explained why it is also important to involve labor from an early stage in the redevelopment process. Drawing from his experience working in three coal-fired power plants, Jim urged communities facing plant closures to proactively plan for economic impacts and to support coal plant workers to put their transferable skill sets to new uses. He noted that the best redevelopment options might not always involve public use or renewable energy; instead, clean manufacturing facilities could deliver significant economic benefits. Initiatives like the IWG can provide resources and guide next steps, while workforce development initiatives can include labor as a strong partner. Jim recommends connecting with the state’s federation of labor to help coordinate efforts among communities, government, and businesses. Ultimately, the community should play a central role in determining the best use of these sites, leveraging existing utility connections while maintaining the final say in their future.

The panel concluded with insights from Director of Integrated Carbon Management in the Office of Fossil Energy at the US Department of Energy, Bhima Sastri, who covered the national government’s approach to supporting development within Appalachia. Bhima made the point that there is currently an abundance of rather underutilized resources available. A few of these fossil asset reinvestment programs include the Inflation Reduction Act which provides targeted investments to energy communities, the Pacific National Laboratory’s technical assistance to help redevelop shuttered coal plant sites, and a number of opportunities offered by the Loan Program Office which sunset in 2026. To learn more about support for redevelopment projects at all phases from site readiness and planning to basic infrastructure, workforce development and economic development, visit the Interagency Working Group’s website.

Discussion following the panelists’ presentations centered around potential visions for future shuttered coal plant redevelopments. While shuttered coal plant sites can sometimes be located at a distance from major highways, they often offer many other valuable assets such as rail and barge transportation access, sources of water, existing grid connection, industrial zoning, and access to a skilled workforce. With their knowledge of complex system management under high voltage and pressure, former coal plant workers’ skill sets were highlighted as highly adaptable to a manufacturing context and a major asset to industry in the region. In order to get started on the type of developments that grow business and support local workers and their communities, a crucial first step is to open a dialogue between community members, workers, site owners, utilities, local government, and other stakeholders, so everyone can work together to ensure shuttered coal plant site redevelopment is truly high value to all. 




Following the full-group plenary, participants were invited to join breakout group discussions on topics ranging from accessing federal funding opportunities and workforce coordination to redevelopment options and eco-industrial park models. Read more about each session below.


Option 1: Finding Federal Funding to Redevelop Your Shuttered Coal Plant

Option 2: Transforming Shuttered Coal Plants into Eco-Manufacturing Hubs

Option 3: Case Studies: Community Approaches to Shuttered Coal Plants

Option 4: Coordinating for Workers Facing Energy Transition at the State and National Level 

Option 5: Identifying Local Assets through Clean Energy Supply Chain Analysis



Natalia Rudiak, Director of Special Projects at ReImagine Appalachia, opened the second full-group plenary with a statement that captures the feeling of opportunity present throughout the summit: shuttered coal plant communities have the workforce of the future! In order to build upon the strength of Appalachia’s workforce, the organized labor sector must be included in the discussions from which they have historically been excluded. Throughout this time of transition, strong labor standards will serve as the foundation for sustainable wealth creation in the region as new jobs brought by redevelopment hopefully create lifelong careers of dignity and respect for the local workforce.



Deputy Director of the Center for the New Energy Economy, Suzanne Tegen similarly affirmed the importance of community input, citing community disapproval as a primary cause for canceled wind and solar projects. By involving the public from the start, the community will be able to make their opinions heard and process the change so that they are more likely to accept the redevelopment that does occur. A key way of involving the public is through Community Benefits, which Suzanne outlined as a formal agreement, which may include terms such as how money will be allocated, the development timeline, and long-term accountability check ins. (For more info, look at NREL’s website). Suzanne shared a few examples of the role community benefits agreements played in redevelopment projects in Craig, CO and Lansing, MI where the community chose to retain the original historic and culturally-significant building associated with the former coal power plant. Aside from maintaining local coal-era landmarks, successful redevelopment projects can build back the local tax base and replace the jobs lost through closures. From her experience overseeing community benefit agreements, Suzanne suggested holding regular meetings for the community at which the people who ‘usually have the mic’ are not present so that everyone feels comfortable and has the space to speak. A completed community benefit agreement is an accomplishment that should be celebrated with the community, and Suzanne recommends doing exactly that when the time comes!

Next, Jesse Roush, Executive Director at the Southeastern Ohio Port Authority spoke about the Muskingum River Industrial Park, a former coal plant site, which was acquired and redeveloped by the Southeastern Ohio Port Authority. This coal plant was closed without anything like the plans so many of the speakers on the plenaries have recommended. As such, the site sat vacant and four hundred employees lost their jobs. The SE Port Authority stepped up and began to make plans for redevelopment. Throughout the planning process, Jesse shared that the main point of discussion centered around how much risk the SE Port Authority and other stakeholders should take on to acquire the shuttered coal plant site. In the end, the SE Port Authority was able to acquire the land because they had early community support even with the inherent risks that come with taking on a brownfield site. Now, the SE Port Authority is in the position to take over a second shuttered coal plant site and launch the Washington County Multimodal Port Project. In this project, the SE Port Authority will aim to reconnect both shuttered coal plant sites via rail that has fallen into disrepair, and also to connect the sites to the riverfront in order to create a multi-modal port. Jesse attributed the SE Port Authority’s success with their prioritization of local workforce and labor and their commitment to generating community conversation, which they hope to continue in the years to come.

Finally, Wendy Patton, Research Fellow at ReImagine Appalachia, and Rike Rothenstein, Senior Research Associate at ReImagine Appalachia, spoke about the release of ReImagine Appalachia’s Handbook on Redeveloping Shuttered Coal Plants. Wendy walked us through this extensive resource, showcasing the information available throughout the Handbook’s six chapters. Viewers can engage with this tool by reading information on various stages of the redevelopment process and by following links to additional resources and videos. While the shuttered coal plant redevelopment process often tends to be secretive due to its high stakes, the Handbook aims to dispel confusion and reveal the many ways in which communities can access the knowledge and technical and financial resources to join in on the redevelopment process. Rike then elaborate on the federal and state resources that are provided in Chapter 6 of the Handbook. With an overview of funding (from grants to loans to tax credits) as well as funding trackers, and information on key programs such as The Inflation Reduction Act and the EPA’s Technical Assistance to Brownfields Communities (TAB) Program, the goal of this chapter is to match communities with the resources they need to turn their shuttered coal plant sites into new opportunities. Rike echoed others in urging communities and developers to take advantage of this funding while it is available! 




The summit concluded with a second round of breakout sessions. See below for more details on the conversations held around engaging the community, acknowledging grief, the remediation process and more.


Option 1: Engaging the Community in Visioning and Planning for New Opportunities

Option 2: Community Focused Funding and Technical Assistance

Option 3: Remediation and the Shuttered Coal Plant 

Option 4: Site Development Considerations  

Option 5: Looking Back, Moving Forward: Grief, coal plants and culture