Photo by Jason Blackeye on Unsplash
In June 2023, the Clinic produced a report for the Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) titled Opportunities to Advance Environmental Justice in Renewable Energy Siting. The report considers how transitioning to clean energy has triggered concerns about the environmental justice implications of siting renewable generation facilities and transmission resources, identifies barriers that might inhibit EJ communities’ participation in the renewable energy siting process and proposes strategies for overcoming these obstacles. The report consists of three parts: 1) Challenges to EJ community participation in the renewable siting process; 2) Potential solutions for EJ engagement that mitigate some of these challenges and suggestions for how advocacy organizations can help to implement these solutions; and 3) Possible solutions to mitigate the tension between the need for expeditious renewable energy siting and the goal of encouraging EJ community participation in the siting process. The report also included a summary handout that outlines the recommendations for states, applicants, and advocates in brief. The report was written by Julie Kim (JD’24) and Yao Li (JD’24) under the supervision of Clinical Fellow Rosa Hayes and Clinic Faculty Director Andrew Mergen.