ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE STATE GUIDANCE FOR CLEAN POWER PLANNING

The document outlines strategies for US states to ensure that the Clean Power Plan does not disproportionately burden low-income communities and communities of color. It emphasizes the need for 'high impact' engagement, the conduct of formal Environmental Justice (EJ) analyses, and the avoidance of carbon trading mechanisms that may allow power plants to avoid on-site pollution reductions. The guide also advocates for a 'Just Transition' that provides economic development and job training in communities heavily dependent on fossil fuels.

• The EPA's Clean Power Plan requires state regulators to meaningfully engage stakeholders—including workers, low-income communities, communities of color, and indigenous populations—and to evaluate the effects of their plans on vulnerable communities to ensure all benefit from the rule.
• High-impact engagement is characterized by the visible involvement of key decision-makers, the ability of EJ stakeholders to drive the process, and the achievement of tangible results such as emission reductions and health improvements.
• The guide recommends that states conduct an Environmental Justice analysis to identify vulnerable communities and minimize unintentional disparate impacts of policy decisions before they are implemented.
• Carbon trading and the Clean Energy Incentive Program (CEIP) are identified as concerns because they may allow power plants to avoid on-site pollution reductions, thereby denying nearby communities health benefits from the reduction of co-pollutants like ozone and particulate matter.
• The document advocates for alternative compliance strategies to cap-and-trade, such as source reduction and carbon pricing (e.g., a carbon tax), to ensure air quality does not deteriorate at the local level.
• A 'Just Transition' is proposed to enhance the quality of life for communities affected by economic disruption through inclusion and processes that strengthen local health, wealth, and the environment.
• The guide highlights significant health disparities, noting that African American and Hispanic children have higher rates of asthma than national averages, which are exacerbated by climate-induced increases in ozone.
• The EPA's proximity analysis indicates that a higher percentage of low-income communities and communities of color live near power plants compared to the national average, with urban areas tending to be both low-income and communities of color.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2016). ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE STATE GUIDANCE FOR CLEAN POWER PLANNING. https://www.eesi.org/files/EJ-State-Guidance-Final-v5-jan-15-2016.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE STATE GUIDANCE FOR CLEAN POWER PLANNING. 2016. https://www.eesi.org/files/EJ-State-Guidance-Final-v5-jan-15-2016.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE STATE GUIDANCE FOR CLEAN POWER PLANNING |date=January 2016 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/EJ-State-Guidance-Final-v5-jan-15-2016.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2016environmental, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE STATE GUIDANCE FOR CLEAN POWER PLANNING}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2016}, month = jan, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/EJ-State-Guidance-Final-v5-jan-15-2016.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }