Energy distributive injustices: Assessing the demographics of communities surrounding renewable and fossil fuel power plants in the United States

Abstract

As the United States transitions away from fossil fuel to renewable energy sources, questions abound as to whether this is occurring in an equitable way. Are renewable energy power plants sited near privileged or marginalized communities, and how does this compare with non-renewable power plants? To answer this question, this article contrasts the sociodemographic profiles of host versus non-host communities for utility scale power plants at a national and state level. Findings demonstrate that the transition is not occurring equitably, and there are important differences between types of power plants. Hosts of coal plants and wind farms are Whiter but poorer while oil, natural gas and solar are located in communities with higher percentages of people of color but that are bifurcated in economic and education variables. State-level analysis reveals that as the diversity of the racial/ethnic and economic makeup of the state increases, so does the propensity for power plants to be located in communities of color and lower income. This article offers a timely and novel assessment of distributive injustices related to renewable energy siting, an updated analysis of fossil fuel host communities, and presents the information in a comparative manner that allows national and state-level trends to be made apparent. This analysis suggests that inequities are occurring because certain marginalized communities do not have the ability to access or to repel opportunities. It raises important considerations for practitioners and researchers about what an equitable distribution of power plants entails, and offers data to spark conversations.