A New Approach to Renewable Energy Siting
A New Approach to Renewable Energy Siting
A university-based clinical model to address facility siting disputes.
The Clinical Approach: What Is It?
A university-based clinical approach to renewable energy siting is a novel way to mitigating renewable energy siting disputes. It's all about collaboration, problem-solving, and justice. Here's how it works:
University-Based Clinics: Universities, starting with MIT, will host clinics that offer a neutral space for all parties involved in siting disputes to come together and work towards a siting plan that is beneficial for all.
Professional Mediation: These clinics will partner with professional mediators to facilitate joint fact-finding and collaborative problem-solving.
Embracing Energy Justice: The approach focuses on fairness, including distributional, procedural, and recognitional justice, ensuring that all stakeholders have an equal opportunity to participate.
The Clinical Approach: What Is It?
A university-based clinical approach to renewable energy siting is a novel way to mitigating renewable energy siting disputes. It's all about collaboration, problem-solving, and justice. Here's how it works:
University-Based Clinics: Universities, starting with MIT, will host clinics that offer a neutral space for all parties involved in siting disputes to come together and work towards a siting plan that is beneficial for all.
Professional Mediation: These clinics will partner with professional mediators to facilitate joint fact-finding and collaborative problem-solving.
Embracing Energy Justice: The approach focuses on fairness, including distributional, procedural, and recognitional justice, ensuring that all stakeholders have an equal opportunity to participate.
The Challenge of Renewable Energy Siting
Meeting U.S. decarbonization goals necessitates a rapid transition to renewable energy.
Understanding sources of local resistance and transforming the facility siting process are essential next steps to ensure that renewable energy projects are not blocked by local opponents.
Fragmented and Inequitable Siting Processes
Community concerns about renewable energy projects are often dismissed as NIMBYism, but analysis shows that opponents often have legitimate reasons for resistance.
Existing siting regulations do not require new facilities to minimize, rectify, or compensate adverse impacts, leading to opposition.
Go Slow to Go Fast: A Clinical Approach
To address the nuanced opposition to renewable energy projects, we advocate for a tailored consensus-building strategy via the Environmental Collaboration and Conflict Resolution (ECCR) framework. This involves university-led mediation, neutral stakeholder convening, and facilitated collaborative problem-solving to refine project proposals.
An Efficient, Equitable, & Just Siting Process
The clinical model aims to make siting more efficient by addressing:
Procedural Justice: ensuring relevant stakeholders have an equal opportunity to participate.
Distributional Justice: enabling under-resourced communities to be consulted and compensated.
Recognitional Justice: preventing further repetition of historically inequitable siting patterns.
The Challenge of Renewable Energy Siting
Meeting U.S. decarbonization goals necessitates a rapid transition to renewable energy.
Understanding sources of local resistance and transforming the facility siting process are essential next steps to ensure that renewable energy projects are not blocked by local opponents.
Fragmented and Inequitable Siting Processes
Community concerns about renewable energy projects are often dismissed as NIMBYism, but analysis shows that opponents often have legitimate reasons for resistance.
Existing siting regulations do not require new facilities to minimize, rectify, or compensate adverse impacts, leading to opposition.
Go Slow to Go Fast: A Clinical Approach
To address the nuanced opposition to renewable energy projects, we advocate for a tailored consensus-building strategy via the Environmental Collaboration and Conflict Resolution (ECCR) framework. This involves university-led mediation, neutral stakeholder convening, and facilitated collaborative problem-solving to refine project proposals.
An Efficient, Equitable, & Just Siting Process
The clinical model aims to make siting more efficient by addressing:
Procedural Justice: ensuring relevant stakeholders have an equal opportunity to participate.
Distributional Justice: enabling under-resourced communities to be consulted and compensated.
Recognitional Justice: preventing further repetition of historically inequitable siting patterns.
The Challenge of Renewable Energy Siting
Meeting U.S. decarbonization goals necessitates a rapid transition to renewable energy.
Understanding sources of local resistance and transforming the facility siting process are essential next steps to ensure that renewable energy projects are not blocked by local opponents.
Fragmented and Inequitable Siting Processes
Community concerns about renewable energy projects are often dismissed as NIMBYism, but analysis shows that opponents often have legitimate reasons for resistance.
Existing siting regulations do not require new facilities to minimize, rectify, or compensate adverse impacts, leading to opposition.
Go Slow to Go Fast: A Clinical Approach
To address the nuanced opposition to renewable energy projects, we advocate for a tailored consensus-building strategy via the Environmental Collaboration and Conflict Resolution (ECCR) framework. This involves university-led mediation, neutral stakeholder convening, and facilitated collaborative problem-solving to refine project proposals.
An Efficient, Equitable, & Just Siting Process
The clinical model aims to make siting more efficient by addressing:
Procedural Justice: ensuring relevant stakeholders have an equal opportunity to participate.
Distributional Justice: enabling under-resourced communities to be consulted and compensated.
Recognitional Justice: preventing further repetition of historically inequitable siting patterns.
The Challenge of Renewable Energy Siting
Meeting U.S. decarbonization goals necessitates a rapid transition to renewable energy.
Understanding sources of local resistance and transforming the facility siting process are essential next steps to ensure that renewable energy projects are not blocked by local opponents.
Fragmented and Inequitable Siting Processes
Community concerns about renewable energy projects are often dismissed as NIMBYism, but analysis shows that opponents often have legitimate reasons for resistance.
Existing siting regulations do not require new facilities to minimize, rectify, or compensate adverse impacts, leading to opposition.
Go Slow to Go Fast: A Clinical Approach
To address the nuanced opposition to renewable energy projects, we advocate for a tailored consensus-building strategy via the Environmental Collaboration and Conflict Resolution (ECCR) framework. This involves university-led mediation, neutral stakeholder convening, and facilitated collaborative problem-solving to refine project proposals.
An Efficient, Equitable, & Just Siting Process
The clinical model aims to make siting more efficient by addressing:
Procedural Justice: ensuring relevant stakeholders have an equal opportunity to participate.
Distributional Justice: enabling under-resourced communities to be consulted and compensated.
Recognitional Justice: preventing further repetition of historically inequitable siting patterns.
A Powerful Way to a Just Energy Transition
A Powerful Way to a Just Energy Transition
The clinical approach offers a transformative solution to key barriers in achieving a just energy transition. Our publication in Cell Reports Sustainability outlines this innovative model for the first time.
