How much will the clean energy transition disrupt the lives of American workers and their communities? The large-scale shift away from coal offers a preview of the challenges that other fossil fuel-dependent regions may soon face.  

Dr. Eleanor Krause, Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics, will discuss evidence from three recent studies on the consequences of coal's decline. Coal-dependent communities have experienced repeated economic shocks over time that have affected the socioeconomic characteristics of their populations, weakening their capacity to recover from more recent downturns in the coal industry. Individual coal workers have also experienced large and persistent losses in earnings and employment even in cases where they obtained jobs in different industries or labor markets. Investments in coal-dependent communities appear mixed. While coal’s decline increased the government assistance provided to affected communities, it has had negligible effects on educational investments. Current and proposed policies to help communities adjust tend to incentivize physical capital investments in energy communities. However, complementary investments in human capital will also be necessary to equip these communities for the shifts in the energy landscape that lie ahead.