ORNL, University of Kentucky focus on clean energy in Appalachia
image: Peter Thornton, second from right, is director of ORNL’s Climate Change Science Institute. He shares insights on the regional impacts of changing weather patterns during the Second Annual Appalachian Carbon Forum in Lexington, Kentucky.
Credit: University of Kentucky’s Center for Applied Energy Research
The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory hosted the second annual Appalachian Carbon Forum in Lexington March 7-8, 2024, where ORNL and University of Kentucky’s Center for Applied Energy Research scientists led discussions with representatives from industry, government and academia to discuss ways to transition to clean energy.
Launched by ORNL in 2023, the forum is hosted each year in the heart of the Appalachian region. The first event was held in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and was designed to foster conversations with regional stakeholders, including community organizations, to address challenges and opportunities in the area.
“We’ve provided a starting point for meaningful discussions on the challenges and opportunities unique to Appalachia,” said ORNL’s Susan Hubbard, deputy for science and technology. “This forum offers a platform for representatives from local communities, private industry, national laboratories and government located along the Appalachian Mountains to share ideas and enhance collaborations that enable this region to significantly contribute to the nation’s environmental progress and energy security.”
As the United States continues to move away from fossil-based energy production to renewable and carbon-free sources, Appalachia is facing several challenges – from managing the legacy of coal mining and natural gas extraction to environmental issues such as climate change, deforestation, soil erosion and even water scarcity. The Appalachia region includes 423 counties across 13 diverse states from New York to Mississippi.
Areas of focus throughout the forum included industrial decarbonization, nuclear power, sustainable utilization of resources and community and infrastructure resiliency. Panelists discussed industry challenges to developing solutions that reduce carbon emissions, including impacts to job creation, and economic and environmental benefits. Power companies shared insights on how the increasing demands of residential, commercial and industrial customers are being met with a renewed focus on nuclear power generation. A critical element to the regional economy of Appalachia is the extraction and utilization of natural resources such as timber and minerals. Panelists shared sustainable utilization ideas for these materials that reduce carbon emissions and waste.
Rebecca Goodman, Kentucky’s cabinet secretary for energy and environment, closed out the forum highlighting the climate impacts to the region. Goodman focused on the local, state and federal official response to the 2022 Kentucky flood and was joined by community leaders from West Virginia and Virginia who shared their respective responses to disaster preparedness and recovery in socially vulnerable communities.
“The Appalachian Carbon Forum is a way for researchers and stakeholders to work together to make sure communities in this region thrive and benefit as the nation pivots to a clean energy future,” said ORNL’s Edgar Lara-Curzio, co-chair of the forum who also leads energy transition programs and decarbonization research at ORNL. “We appreciate the University of Kentucky’s Center for Applied Energy Research for hosting us this year and look forward to bringing the discussions to another location in Appalachia next year.”
In addition to ORNL and University of Kentucky climate scientists and distinguished researchers, panelists included representatives from Appalachian Renewal Technologies, Appalachian Voices, Battelle, Coalfield Development, CONSOL Energy, Edelen Renewables, IBEW Tenth District, Kairos Power, Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, The Nature Conservancy, Ohio River Valley Institute, OsoMono LTD/ CONSOL Energy, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, PPL Corporation, Reimagine Appalachia, Rye Development, Shaping Our Appalachian Region, the Tennessee Valley Authority, Virginia Department of Energy, the Virginia Nuclear Energy Consortium and X-Energy.
The 2024 Appalachian Carbon Forum was sponsored by Ramaco Carbon, University of Kentucky Research and United Rare Earths. Additional organizing committee members include West Virginia University and the National Energy Technology Laboratory.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.