Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
Transitioning Central Appalachia: Understanding Framework Conditions Supporting Adaptation to New Energy Economies
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Since 2007, the trend in electricity generation from coal-fired power plants has been on the decline, while in the same time-frame electricity generation from natural gas and renewables has been steadily increasing. In fact, in 2016 natural gas surpassed coal as the leading fuel for electricity generation at the utility scale, per the Energy Information Administration. This shift in the energy sector has had significant implications for Central Appalachian communities which have been dependent on the coal industry as a staple of their local economies. This shift represents the bust in a typical boom-and-bust cycle that accompanies natural resource extraction industries, albeit more likely to be lasting. Given these trends in energy, there is a need to understand foundational elements that may support coal-impacted communities to transition their local economies to ones that are carbon-constrained, diverse, and sustainable. Grounded in the boomtown and resource curse body of literature, this research examines the associations between change in economic status in coal-impacted counties of Central Appalachia and four variables: economic diversification, human capital, social capital, and use of public policy approaches supportive of redevelopment. The researcher also examines policy processes used by county-level legislators to address these regional challenges. Ultimately, this work seeks to shine a light on policy levers that, when pulled, may aid in improving economic conditions in coal-impacted Central Appalachian counties.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Jonathan Norris is a researcher and candidate for a Master of Science in Environmental Studies at the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University. His research focuses on two topics: the community impacts of energy development and policy approaches to sustainable economic development in communities historically dependent on resource extraction.
Conference Subthemes
Economic Development, Environmental Sustainability
Transitioning Central Appalachia: Understanding Framework Conditions Supporting Adaptation to New Energy Economies
Since 2007, the trend in electricity generation from coal-fired power plants has been on the decline, while in the same time-frame electricity generation from natural gas and renewables has been steadily increasing. In fact, in 2016 natural gas surpassed coal as the leading fuel for electricity generation at the utility scale, per the Energy Information Administration. This shift in the energy sector has had significant implications for Central Appalachian communities which have been dependent on the coal industry as a staple of their local economies. This shift represents the bust in a typical boom-and-bust cycle that accompanies natural resource extraction industries, albeit more likely to be lasting. Given these trends in energy, there is a need to understand foundational elements that may support coal-impacted communities to transition their local economies to ones that are carbon-constrained, diverse, and sustainable. Grounded in the boomtown and resource curse body of literature, this research examines the associations between change in economic status in coal-impacted counties of Central Appalachia and four variables: economic diversification, human capital, social capital, and use of public policy approaches supportive of redevelopment. The researcher also examines policy processes used by county-level legislators to address these regional challenges. Ultimately, this work seeks to shine a light on policy levers that, when pulled, may aid in improving economic conditions in coal-impacted Central Appalachian counties.
