Eisenberg: Transitions in Energy Communities

Ann M. Eisenberg’s (South Carolina Law) essay Transitions in Energy Communities in The George Washington Journal of Energy and Environmental Law discusses the current state of communities tied to energy production and considers current law, policy, and activism efforts focused on transitions within such communities. Energy Communities provides an overview of how the energy grid functions while highlighting the externalized costs communities involved in energy production bear and noting that “green” energy sources can also involve externalities.

Eisenberg discusses possible ways forward for existing energy-dependent communities through the lens of “just transitions.” Just transitions concepts refer, generally, to the idea that communities that have contributed to societal growth but now face focused losses to achieve other collective progress deserve some form of mitigation or consideration for their costs. Against this just transitions backdrop, Energy Communities provides a survey of current efforts to manage the transition in energy communities, including initiatives to offset losses in fossil fuel communities, initiatives for community rebuilding and revitalization at the state and federal level, and public green jobs programs.

Energy Communities provides a primer on energy production and energy communities while also mapping possible paths forward for “reconciling energy production with the priorities of just transitions and clean energy justice.”

This digest was produced with significant contribution by Aurora Kenworthy, UNL Law Student.