Leveraging Renewable Energy Infrastructure for Mining Community Resilience

The report argues that while mining companies are increasingly adopting renewable energy for operational decarbonization, these investments should be leveraged through policy to benefit host communities. It provides a framework for integrating renewable energy into local content policies, emphasizing shared infrastructure, skills development, and long-term planning for post-closure transitions to ensure sustainable local development.

• Mining is highly energy-intensive and a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, with midstream processing activities like smelting requiring the most energy. For example, in nickel mining, smelting and refining can contribute up to 60% of all GHG emissions.
• Mining companies are increasingly adopting on-site solar, wind, and hybrid renewable microgrids to replace diesel generators. In some cases, this has led to significant emissions reductions; global direct and indirect emissions from copper mining sites fell by over 5% between 2022 and 2024, primarily due to power purchasing agreements.
• Renewable energy infrastructure in mining can be categorized as a 'horizontal linkage' within local content policies, meaning it can serve both mining and non-mining users to promote local economic diversification and resilience.
• The benefits of renewable energy for communities are not automatic and require deliberate planning. Without shared-use design, infrastructure remains limited to the mine gate. Examples of successful sharing include the Kibali Mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which uses solar and hydropower, and a project in Colombia where a mine shares excess power with nearby villages.
• The energy transition in mining creates a demand for new skill sets, particularly in mid-level occupations such as solar panel installers and wind turbine technicians. There is a significant gender gap in these roles; in the U.S. energy sector, women account for only 26% of the workforce and 19% of newly created energy jobs in 2023.
• Renewable energy systems can be installed on closed mine brownfields to ensure continued electricity production in isolated areas. For instance, a closed lead-zinc mine in Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada, was used for a 1.05 MW solar PV plant that provides electricity for over 250 homes.
• To ensure long-term community resilience, governments should implement mandatory requirements in local content policies, such as 'last-mile' electrification plans and the use of escrow accounts or financial guarantees to cover the operation and maintenance of energy systems after mine closure.
• Fiscal and non-fiscal incentives are necessary to encourage companies to extend infrastructure to communities. These include tax credits, VAT exemptions on equipment, accelerated depreciation, and the use of partial risk guarantees to cover payment defaults or regulatory risks.

APA

Cooper, T., Ramdoo, I., Starce, C., & Tekinbas, E. (2026). Leveraging Renewable Energy Infrastructure for Mining Community Resilience. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-06/renewable-energy-infrastructure-mining-community-resilience.pdf

Chicago

Cooper, Tracey, Isabelle Ramdoo, Carlo Starce, and Ege Tekinbas. Leveraging Renewable Energy Infrastructure for Mining Community Resilience. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2026. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-06/renewable-energy-infrastructure-mining-community-resilience.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cooper |first1=Tracey |last2=Ramdoo |first2=Isabelle |last3=Starce |first3=Carlo |last4=Tekinbas |first4=Ege |title=Leveraging Renewable Energy Infrastructure for Mining Community Resilience |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=June 2026 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-06/renewable-energy-infrastructure-mining-community-resilience.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cooper2026leveraging, author = {Cooper, Tracey and Ramdoo, Isabelle and Starce, Carlo and Tekinbas, Ege}, title = {{Leveraging Renewable Energy Infrastructure for Mining Community Resilience}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-06/renewable-energy-infrastructure-mining-community-resilience.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }