Community Matters: Announcing 'A Guide to Community Benefits in Southwestern Pennsylvania'

Whether readers of this column realize it or not, humanity is currently engaged in a global transformation related to the production and consumption of energy. And, that transition could – if properly understood and wisely leveraged – have significant implications for life here in Beaver County.

According to the International Energy Agency – a global consortium of 29 industrialized countries – some $3 trillion is currently being spent on the clean energy transition globally each year. This same agency estimates that global investment must grow to $4.5 million annually by 2030 to counteract the many negative consequences of climate change.

In the world we currently inhabit, I understand what I have written thus far has very likely divided readers into one of two camps. Though lamentable from my vantage point, that is nevertheless the world we live in. There is little in me that finds it wise to ignore that reality. And I certainly will not try to overcome this feature of our moment in history here.

Instead, I hope to direct attention to a practically and ethically important question related to the scale of investment described above. If such significant public funds are being deployed – which they currently are – how do we ensure that the benefits of such investments are justly and equitably realized in places like Beaver County?

For nearly two years now, RiverWise has been staring directly at this and related questions alongside a growing group of stakeholders who have come together to begin developing something called a Community Benefits Coalition. At its core, this group has been interested in understanding and wisely responding to this present moment related to the national energy transition.

Our growing coalition has emerged in close partnership with Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services and New Sun Rising, two regional nonprofits deeply interested in maximizing community agency in public decision making. Along with such partners, we have engaged several residents and local organizations through a series of public gatherings, webinars, and one-on-one meetings. We have spoken at local, regional, and national convenings about how communities can benefit from an investment in the energy transition. We have engaged political officials, philanthropy, community groups, industry, energy experts, and much more. All along the way, we have been careful to capture and reflect on what we’ve heard, seeking to apply such national conversations in a way appropriate to our local context here in Beaver County.

This week, and on the back of all the various activities outlined above – RiverWise, Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services, and New Sun Rising are releasing an extensive report that summarizes our current thinking about these important matters. This document is entitled “A Guide to Community Benefits in Southwestern Pennsylvania: An Honest Reflection and Practical Resource about the Possibility of Maximizing Community Benefits in 2024 and Beyond.” Interested readers can find a link to this document at: https://tinyurl.com/5mj7wdbe .

Starting on Tuesday, we will be launching a messaging campaign about the document, which can be found by following along on any of RiverWise’s social media channels.

Those who view the document will see that it is purposefully divided into two sections. I have written the first section, which is an extended reflection on how, whether and where local communities are benefiting from the clean energy transition. The second section of the document is a practical guide – written by Meagan Niebler from Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services – which provides a number of resources that community stakeholders can use to become better prepared to participate in the processes in place to help maximize community benefits from the clean energy transition.

As the document makes clear, there are many processes surrounding the deployment of federal funds that must be refined. Even so, there are significant opportunities for communities like those in Beaver County seeking to become better prepared to be part of decision-making regarding how, where, and on whose terms such funds are deployed. The fact that such nationally significant reflections have emerged in direct and ongoing conversations with Beaver County stakeholders is a testament to how much we have to gain by being thoughtful and strategic participants in such conversations. Of course, it also demonstrates how much we stand to lose if we remain uninformed and uninvolved in the kinds of matters outlined in the “Guide to Community Benefits.”

Undoubtedly, I will have much more to say about what I have only begun to explain here. Until then, please consider taking some time to look over the document available at https://tinyurl.com/5mj7wdbe . It is truly a document about community matters related to life here in Beaver County. After you’ve had a look, let me know your thoughts.

I’ll be eager to hear what you think.

Daniel Rossi-Keen, Ph.D., is the co-owner of eQuip Books, a community bookstore in Aliquippa and the executive director of RiverWise, a nonprofit employing sustainable development practices to create a regional identity around the rivers of Beaver County. You can reach Daniel at daniel@getriverwise.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Community Matters: Announcing 'A Guide to Community Benefits in Southwestern Pennsylvania'