Coal communities’ views on local economic Futures: Implications for energy transition policy and planning

Abstract

Energy transition policies must consider the future of local communities that have been historically dependent on fossil fuel jobs, but policymakers face challenges in engaging with those communities. This problem is especially acute in southern West Virginia—which once had some of the largest reserves of coal in the U.S. but is now a region marred by socioeconomic and environmental challenges. While government agencies, private businesses, and non-profit organizations have proposed transition policies for the region, little research exists on how residents in southern West Virginia perceive the economic futures of their communities. Our research uses unique survey data from more than 500 respondents in southern West Virginia in 2017 to describe community sentiment about possible economic futures. We present both quantitative and qualitative data on what residents see as their community's most probable economic future. The results show that residents largely see fossil fuel extraction as continuing to support jobs in the future—and the renewable energy sector is among the industries they perceive as least likely to provide future jobs. Further, there are few demographic differences in these results. However, respondents are willing to consider alternatives to coal—especially those related to mine reclamation, tourism, and manufacturing. These findings highlight a disconnect between some large-scale transition policy proposals and communities' own views of transition.