Along for the Ride

Clean energy projects go up in areas once dominated by fossil fuels

Clean energy projects are off and running throughout the U.S., with particular attention paid to areas that have traditionally played a role in producing fossil fuel energy and could be at risk of being left behind in a new energy economy.

“These are communities that powered America for literally decades, and this administration, the Biden-Harris administration, believes they’re exactly the right folks in the right communities to lead the clean energy transition for decades to come,” Deputy U.S. Energy Secretary David Turk said in announcing $428 million in grants for battery manufacturing or recycling projects in 12 states where coal mines and power plants have closed.

Mainspring Energy is using an $87 million federal grant to build a linear generator plant that will support nearly 900 new jobs in Coraoplis, Pa. Sparkz Inc. in Bridgeport, W.Va., is making use of $9.8 million in grants to build the first battery-grade iron phosphate plant in the U.S.

“This agreement marks a meaningful step forward for workers who have been hit hard by the downturn in traditional mining jobs,” United Mine Workers of America International President Cecil E. Roberts said. “It represents an opportunity for laid-off miners to return to the workforce in well-paying jobs that support their families and communities. As West Virginia faces the ongoing energy transition, we are eager to work alongside SPARKZ to create long-term, sustainable opportunities for our members and their communities.”

A further $9 million in funding is going to clean energy projects and food sovereignty projects at tribal colleges and universities. The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) is extending for the next three fiscal years, with $600 million in funding for clean energy projects throughout rural America.

The program aims “to help agricultural producers and rural small business owners make energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy investments to reduce energy costs, generate new income, and strengthen the resiliency of their operations.”

Projects in Action

In Appalachia, where coal long ruled the energy ecosystem, Rural Reimagined is working to show why EVs are the future of transportation. The program offers free EV test drives for two to six weeks to Americans in rural Appalachia and aims to install more than 200 charging stations in the region.

“This project aims to provide clean and affordable mobility options to the underserved communities by developing needed charging infrastructure and adopting and demonstrating various cost-effective EVs in diverse applications,” Rural Reimagined says. “In addition, by partnering with a broad set of EV stakeholders, this project aims to create training and education opportunities to residents in rural and low-income Appalachian communities to kick-start electric vehicle adoption and clean-energy job opportunities where it is needed most.”

The program has six models on offer, of varying size and utility, from a Nissan Leaf to a Ford F-150 Lightning to an E-Transit van.

Of a $620 million federal grant program for installing EV charging stations across the U.S., $6 million is going to put 400 stations across Georgia, with an emphasis on areas where charging stations are few and far between.

One of the companies leading the installation charge is Power Solutions Electrical Contracting, where founder Tonya Hicks takes care to ensure stations are placed in well-lit areas safe for women and seniors as part of her sheEV initiative. In an industry where 3% of electricians are female and 8% are Black, Hicks became the first woman Journeyman Wireman in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

“I wish more people knew how easy it is to transition your life! Just small adjustments, how big of an impact those make,” she told Clean Energy for America.

In Memphis, that small adjustment can be just a simple rounding up. Under Memphis Gas Light and Water’s Share The Pennies program, customers are opted in to round their bills up to the nearest dollar. The extra money adds up to over $8 million annually, which goes toward weatherizing the homes of low-income residents, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and allows homes to hold up better in extreme conditions while consuming less energy.

“Everybody wants to be Bill Gates. Everybody wants to be Warren Buffet, but the reality is when you’re a single mother, like I am, I don’t have the liberty to sit here and write a $10,000 or $10 million check,” customer Rebecca Maino told the Tennessee Lookout. “But rounding up to the nearest dollar, that’s not going to affect anyone’s bottom line.”

It does make a big difference toward making sure clean energy works for everyone.