Renewable Energy is Within Reach–Just Ask Holyoke, Mass.
City of Holyoke
Connecting state and local government leaders
COMMENTARY | Here's what a city that embraced green energy gained.
One of the most common objections to transitioning to renewable energy is that it just costs too much. Businesses worry about whether they will turn a profit. Politicians worry about whether they will pay a penalty at the ballot box. Working people worry that moving toward a green energy future will cost them their jobs and ability to provide for their families.
However, we have seen just the opposite in the green energy transformation of Holyoke, Massachusetts, where the community-driven transition from coal to renewable energy has helped revitalize the city.
Holyoke was home to one of the commonwealth’s last coal-burning power plants and it was clear that it was making the town sick. The Mt. Tom power plant was the second largest polluter in Massachusetts in 2007, and in just five years the coal plant racked up 2,500 air pollution violations. Unsurprisingly, asthma rates were twice as high as the rest of the state, and asthma attacks were regularly sending residents of all ages to the hospital.
Like elsewhere in the country, the environmental, health, and economic toll of this 50-year-old coal-burning power plant was becoming untenable. In the last few years of its existence, the plant had stopped operating at full capacity, and operations were expected to continue to decrease.
The community knew Mt. Tom had to and would likely close. Residents faced some major questions: What would happen to the workers when the coal plant shut its doors? What would happen to the site where the plant now stood?
Our group and community leaders worked together to build a coalition of local businesses and residents around three shared goals: 1) Retire the coal-burning power plant, 2) ensure justice for the plant’s workers, and 3) redevelop the plant around clean energy.
After four years of escalating pressure, the company that owned the power plant finally agreed to meet and make some changes, ultimately meeting our demands for a renewable energy replacement and support for existing workers.
Today, the coal-burning plant that was making Holyoke sick is the state’s largest solar plant, with 17,000 solar panels and on-site battery storage. Workers at Mt. Tom got severance and retirement pay, while the state government pitched in to fund job training for employees looking to launch new careers.
Local communities know what they need to thrive and how to get the job done. In Holyoke, we knew that the people on the ground were the ones most impacted by the coal plant, and so they were the ones who needed to lead the fight. Day after day, they were knocking on doors and speaking with neighbors to mobilize for a clean energy future and a fair transition for workers.
Together, they took their city one step closer to a future where energy is clean, and the air and water are safe for everyone. A future where people have good jobs to carry their families and our economy into whatever comes next. Instead of a steep price tag, the Holyoke transition helped the city realize its commitment to renewable energy while strengthening the community.
We know that the clean energy future we all want is within reach. What happened in Holyoke makes it clear that, by standing together and putting communities first, we can ensure the transition to renewable energy works for all of us.
Sylvia Broude and Elena Letona are the executive directors of Toxics Action Center and Neighbor to Neighbor, respectively.
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