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Journal of Science Policy & Governance | Volume 18, Issue 02 | June 21, 2021

Policy Memo: Best Practices for an Equitable Clean Energy Transition: A Toolkit for U.S. States

Sindhu S. Nathan (1), Kavitha Chintam (2), Brooks Clingman (3), Alexandra Johnson (4)

  1. Stanford University, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford, CA
  2. Northwestern University, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Evanston, IL
  3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cambridge, MA
  4. University of California, Berkeley, Department of Public Health, Berkeley, CA

​Corresponding author: [email protected]
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https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG180208
Keywords: clean energy; energy equity; U.S. state policies; climate change
Executive Summary: The clean energy transition is underway, providing valuable insights for governments introducing clean energy policies. However, not all policies are equal, and some communities are excluded from the benefits of the energy transition without policies that explicitly involve them. These excluded people are members of environmental justice communities, people from low-income communities, and others who have been historically discriminated against. We propose a “clean energy equity toolkit” to promote an equitable transition for U.S. state governments presented to the leadership of the National Governors Association, where state governments share best practices. This toolkit identifies policies that help more people reap lower electricity costs, gain access to clean energy jobs, and realize other benefits like improved air quality. We recommend three policies: (1) establish a Clean Energy Equity Office, (2) develop a Clean Energy Career Advancement Program, and (3) implement a minimum resource investment requirement for clean energy projects benefiting disadvantaged communities. Though this toolkit is directed to U.S. state governments, the policies can be adapted by other interested parties and states, domestic and international.

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Sindhu Nathan is a PhD candidate in chemical engineering at Stanford University. She researches catalyst materials used for converting syngas (carbon monoxide and hydrogen) to value-added products such as ethanol or other chemical feedstocks. In addition to her research, she is a former Shultz Fellow at the California Energy Commission in the Office of Commissioner Patty Monahan. She is also the Vice-President of the Stanford Science Policy Group, Vice-Chair of Communications at the National Science Policy Network, and an active member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in the same organization.
 
Kavitha Chintam is a PhD student studying chemical engineering at Northwestern University. Her research focuses on co-electroreduction of carbon dioxide with additives and the process’s underlying mechanisms. Kavitha is the Legislative Outreach Chair for Northwestern’s Science Policy Outreach Taskforce (SPOT) and heads the Science One-Pager Initiative. She is also an active member of her department’s anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion committee. Outside of Northwestern, she is a volunteer with refugee organizations in Chicago and environmental justice groups in the Midwestern U.S. She is a member of the National Science Policy Network.
 
Brooks Clingman is a graduate student studying Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research focuses on overcoming barriers to manufacturing scalability for lithium-ion batteries and future battery chemistries. Brooks is keenly interested in energy technology and the clean energy transition, and he aims to facilitate technology transfer of promising early-stage energy technologies throughout his career. Prior to graduate school, Brooks worked in the private sector for an aerospace and defense contractor. He is a member of the National Science Policy Network.
 
Alexandra Johnson is a Master of Public Health student at the University of California, Berkeley and a research associate at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Her research focuses on indoor air quality. Alexandra has multiple years of experience working with groups at the volunteer level lobbying for clean energy and environmental health, and previously worked as an environmental engineer in both the public and private sectors after obtaining her undergraduate degree in chemical engineering. She is currently a member of the National Science Policy Network and works with various environmental justice groups in California, with a focus on policy.
 
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the members of the National Science Policy Network for their edits and feedback during the development of the memo.
 
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