The impacts of cleaner energy policies on coal-dependent Appalachia and our response options

Abstract

Through conducting an extensive literature review of current policies, interviewing Appalachian residents, and surveying the energy and employment landscapes both regionally and nationally, this thesis aims to shed light on the effect cleaner energy policies have on employment in the Appalachian region. Most importantly, it aims to explain how we as a nation can help support policies that promote employment in sectors other than coal, which has perpetuated poverty and financial insecurity. Understanding past trends and potential future forecasts, while also establishing clear communication with the community in order to ensure proper integration of their needs, will help guide the creation of successful public policy. This work will explain how and which industries we as a nation moving forward should support in order to promote employment in the region in more diverse, sustainable, and healthy ways. Furthermore, there is a growing local entrepreneurial spirit among Appalachia's residents. This passion could be utilized to bolster support moving forward for policies that encourage diversified sources of income such as abandoned land mine reclamation, agriculture, manufacturing the parts for renewable energy technology, and more. This thesis outlines the necessary steps and suggests methods to take for that to happen, such as taking into account the local needs of each county, integrating their feedback from the beginning and at every stage of the development cycle, and ultimately connecting the somewhat isolated region with the rest of the national and global market.