Poster #133 - Five States, Five Systems: Building a Case for a State Energy Transition Office

• In Event: Friday Poster Reception

Abstract

Across the US, individual states have begun to implement policies to transition their energy systems from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. As states implement these policies, communities and workers that rely on coal production and coal-fired energy generation for their livelihoods stand to experience significant disruption to their economies and social fabric.

The State of Illinois has passed sweeping legislation aimed at addressing the energy transition, including the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (2021) and the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (2026), which include significant components designed to aid the state's largely rural coal-dependent communities through grants, workforce development programs, and protections for displaced workers. However, the state has faced challenges with program implementation and coordination among state agencies.

Managing the social and economic aspects of energy transition will be crucial to achieving clean energy goals in a way that equitably supports Illinois’ coal workers and communities. As many other states have implemented similar programs, assessing the strategies states are using to assist communities through energy transition can provide valuable insights that Illinois can use moving forward to strengthen its own energy transition program implementation.

This study is a comparative analysis of energy transition offices and programs in five states: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado, and New Mexico. Through stakeholder interviews with staff at these energy transition offices, we analyze the goals and vision, resource utilization and sourcing, engagement strategies, and program implementation that these offices are using to support coal transition communities through the energy transition. Preliminary results indicate that states have vastly different goals and levels of resourcing for energy transition programs, and they use a variety of different strategies to achieve these goals. States face similar challenges around inter-agency coordination and resourcing. We identify strategies that states are using to address these challenges, strategies that may be useful to other states seeking to support coal-dependent communities. Findings from this study will help inform state-level energy transition practices and contribute to the literature on energy transition policies in the United States and globally.

Author

• Randa P Watts, Prairie Rivers Network
  Presenting Author