Nuclear communities
Nuclear Community Economic Diversification Roadmap
A new tool for communities in the face of the challenges and opportunities stemming from hosting energy-generating infrastructure
Nuclear Community of Practice: A look back
Our work
July 2021: Nuclear Communities Technical Assistance (TA) Team led a virtual Community of Practice, uniting partners from nuclear host communities nationwide to boost long-term resilience through shared experiences and resources.
Zoom gatherings showed the TA Team the value of providing a safe space for discussions, offering validation and support for participants' work on challenging economic issues. Through sharing and collaboration, the CoP built a supportive community and raised awareness of stakeholders' obstacles.
Phase 1: Group sessions
Phase One of the CoP included three sessions which organized participants by their community’s plant status (closed, announced decommissioning, or operating, as depicted above). Each session had a flexible structure to encourage open dialogue but also included a brief educational /resource presentation to help facilitate discussion. Those who attended were eager to participate, learn from others, and get a better understanding of other people’s situations.
What we heard: Key issues by group
July 2021 : Closed Cop
- Frustration around lack of resources & regional influence to protect/stimulate local economy
- EDA funding doesn’t always support reuse/redevelopment planning for site itself
- Spent fuel challenges, housing needs for a growing workforce, etc.
August 2021: : Announced decommissioning CoP
- EDA funding doesn’t typically focus on site redevelopment/ownership issues;, focusing instead on planning and damage control processes
- Local fiscal challenges and value capture opportunities from hosting a unique industry
September 2021: : Opened CoP
- Communicating urgency of planning for closure to community and local leaders
- Technical aspects of decommissioning (funding opportunities for resiliency/diversification planning)
- Building regional and state legislative support
Other : Key Issues
- EDA funding application process: long, difficult & can discourage lower-capacity communities from applying
- Support for how to write competitive applications
- Low local capacity to plan for and deal with impacts of closure
- Knowing what to ask & how to evaluate local context before approaching TA Team for support
Phase 2: Building a wider audience
The TA Team also opened up the conversation to a wider audience and hosted the first-ever national Nuclear Forum in April 2022. With over 100 attendees, the event virtually convened an array of stakeholders, experts, community leaders, and representatives from federal organizations including EDA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). With the success of the Forum, the TA Team evaluated the feedback and suggestions and organized an in-person workshop, the Midwest Nuclear Economic Resilience Conference in Morris, IL in November 2022.
Into 2023, the CoP continued conversations and offered an event focused on economic resilience, with discussions focused on taking stock of a community’s resources and moving towards economic resilience. In particular, planning for an economically uncertain future, and what actions can be taken to keep things moving forward and engaging decision makers.
Phase 3: Final events
On the heels of the gathering in Morris, the TA Team brought together CoP participants for a final gathering in the summer of 2023. On July 26, Putting It All Together: Your Journey and the Road Forward, the TA Team welcomed Erik Pages, President of Entreworks Consulting, who shared ideas about economic diversification and lessons learned from working with coal and nuclear energy transition communities across the country. The NCC TA Team facilitated conversation about attendees’ experiences and their own lessons learned while working to promote economic development and resilience in their communities.
The TA Team held a second large, virtual event, Building Economic Resilience in Energy Host Communities: A Nuclear Communities Forum, in September 2023
Reflection
Over the course of three years, the TA Team has interacted, advised, and collaborated with many nuclear host communities in various stages of their nuclear resiliency journeys. From closed plants to vibrant productive plants, communities all shared one thing in common: their desire to seek out connections. Knowing they were not alone and that others were in similar situations provided comfort and comradery that resonated with participants. While the formal meetings of the nuclear CoP have come to an end, the connections and relationships formed will continue.
They will not only provide mutual support but also comfort and validation to each other knowing they are part of a unique cohort dealing with the issues and challenges of living in a nuclear host community.
Award Snapshots
In FY2020 and FY2021, U.S. EDA allocated $13.5 million and $16.5 million respectively for Nuclear Closure Communities under its Economic Adjustment Assistance program. This funding aims to aid communities hosting nuclear power plants in developing diverse, resilient economies, and addressing the impacts of plant closure.
Livable places. Healthy people. Shared prosperity.
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