Grantee Research Project Results
The Role of State Networks in Advancing Community Initiated and Engaged Sustainable Energy Action in Underserved Communities
EPA Grant Number: R840557Title: The Role of State Networks in Advancing Community Initiated and Engaged Sustainable Energy Action in Underserved Communities
Investigators: Klein, Sharon JW. , Noblet, Caroline L
Institution: University of Maine
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: June 1, 2023 through June 9, 2025
Project Amount: $1,125,000
RFA: Drivers and Environmental Impacts of Energy Transitions in Underserved Communities. (2022) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Air , Air Quality and Air Toxics , Endocrine Disruptors , Environmental Engineering , Environmental Justice , Social Science , Tribal Environmental Health Research , Water Quality , Watersheds
Objective:
- Identify & compare barriers, opportunities, decision drivers of renewable energy & energy efficiency (REE) adoption for individuals, community, & government of underserved communities.
- Examine benefits, challenges, and effectiveness of statewide local energy action networks (LEANs) in supporting REE adoption in underserved communities.
- Examine the role of targeted interventions (capacity, education, ownership) in advancing REE awareness, engagement, & adoption in underserved communities.
Approach:
Statewide LEANs have the potential to increase access to information, funding, technical support, peer-to-peer learning, mentoring, and other resources to help advance REE in underserved communities. We propose a mixed-methods, social science approach with Community Engagement Research (CEnR) framework & multiple perspectives: 1) National: interviews & literature review of LEANs in 50 states; 2) State (Maine): ethnographic observations & documentation analysis, interviews, social network analysis, discussion groups, for in-depth analysis of an emerging statewide LEAN; 3) Community: annual surveys, targeted interventions, interviews, workshop observations, for in-depth analysis of 10 underserved communities in Maine (indigenous, low-income, rural).
Expected Results:
Expected outputs include:
- Reports, presentations, journal articles describing results of the 3 studies identified above.
- Educational materials that translate multiple local sustainable energy options into appropriate information for indigenous, rural, low-income, and racial minority populations.
- Website documenting lessons learned & best practices for local sustainable energy adoption, as well as engagement & co-production of knowledge with communities and tribes.
Expected outcomes include:
- Improved awareness & understanding: barriers, opportunities, decision drivers related to sustainable energy adoption in underserved communities; effective methods for engagement and co-production of knowledge with communities; best practices for state networks & state policy/program design to support local sustainable energy adoption.
- Increased adoption and diffusion of sustainable energy in underserved communities.
- Improved risk management for underserved communities in climate & energy resilience
Supplemental Keywords:
sensitive, vulnerable, disadvantaged populations; northeast; Wabanaki; vulnerability; alternatives; sustainable development; clean technologies; public policy; decision making; community-based; ME; New England; EPA Region 1Progress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.