Homer City, Pennsylvania, used to be a hub of dozens of coal mines, but it is set to make a transition that could pave the way for communities across the United States.
When a coal plant, the largest in the state, closed last year, it left locals wondering about the next step, as Marketplace reported. It could be to rebuild on cheaper, cleaner energy.
The Biden administration is working to help make over the area — and others like it — so it can become a big player again, this time in the new energy economy. One investment it has made is in the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub, which will support over 21,000 jobs and power Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia with clean energy.
Though coal produces just 16% of electricity in the U.S., it is by far the country's biggest contributor to pollution in the power sector. That pollution, as well as that from other dirty energy sources such as oil and gas, is rapidly warming the planet and supercharging extreme weather events.
Hence the investment in clean energy, which includes solar, wind, hydro, and other low-carbon or carbon-free sources. Former coal plants across the country are being turned into solar farms and wind farms. It's happening in Ohio, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and elsewhere — there's even a related project to turn an old oil and gas well into a geothermal storage unit.
"Through President Biden's Investing in America agenda, we are revitalizing communities across the country and empowering energy workers," national climate adviser Ali Zaidi said. "The Pennsylvania Rapid Response Team will ensure communities and workers here in Western Pennsylvania have the resources they need to leverage historic federal investments and technical assistance and position the United States to lead globally on clean energy."
Cleaning up power generation is just part of the solution. Homer City borough manager Rob Nymick envisions an environmental cleanup as well, with a discolored stream signaling how polluted the area remains even decades after mines were shuttered.
"Just look at the orange," Nymick told Marketplace. "There isn't a thing alive in that stream. Wouldn't this be a wonderful place someday if this stream is clean? We [could] have the largest kids' fishing tournament, and we have all the room in the world to do this here."
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