Distributed Generation as a tool to achieve environmental justice
As more of society starts speaking out on the many injustices stemming from income inequality, housing discrimination, and racism, we cannot overlook the environmental inequalities that exist in many communities.
In the United States and around the world, people still lack equal access to living, learning, and working in a healthy and clean environment. This environmental inequality tends to impact minority communities. A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) found that Black and Hispanic Americans bear a disproportionate burden of air pollution. They tend to live in locations with higher PM2.5 concentrations than white Americans, increasing their average daily exposure to air pollution.
Lower income communities live near power plants, compressor stations, and other energy production facilities
Houses near energy production facilities are relatively cheaper as they do not provide the same life security that other places do. They are exposed to the various dangers and risks that may occur in power plants or any electric facility.
A 2017 report from the Institute for Health and the Environment found that the 70 chemicals in toxic pollutants released into the New York atmosphere from natural gas compressor stations were linked to 19 out of 20 major categories of human disease. This air pollution can cause cancer, birth defects, reproductive disorders, cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases, neurological diseases, and many other illnesses.
It’s not just the air that is contaminated; the local area’s water and soil are compromised as well from the fracking process near the compressors.
The loud noise from the compressors disturbs wildlife and disrupts the environment, as well as causing heart disease, hearing impairment, sleep disturbance, and cognitive problems in humans. The Wall Street Journal found that at least 15.3 million Americans live within a mile of a well that’s been drilled for fossil fuels. The Clean Air Task Force and the NAACP report that more than 1 million African Americans live within half mile to natural gas facilities and more than 1 million in counties with elevated cancer risks from these facilities’ toxic pollution.
The communities living and working near the compressors are not being informed of these environmental exposures and their harmful effect on human health. Without full disclosure of the risks, people do not know to consider these environmental factors when choosing a home. Nor do they report these factors when seeking treatment, leading to inadequate healthcare.
Increase distributed generation to reduce/eliminate power plants being placed in low-income areas
Traditionally, energy is generated in a central fashion at large-scale power plants and then moved through the electric grid, traveling through the transmission and distribution network before reaching its intended end-user. With recent advancements in technology, we can now distribute power generated by an individual home or business or another energy resource near the location where it was generated. This obviates the need for energy to traverse a long distance until it reaches its intended destination.
Benefits
Distributed generation will change the way the electric industry functions by enabling lower greenhouse gas emissions, via reducing the need for centralized power plants. Given the relatively fast implementation timeline, distributed generation can be set up quite quickly. Efficiency is also better in centralized generation; only 28–35% of fuel is used to generate power. Distributed generation likewise enables power in remote locations, where an estimated 1.2 billion people — 16% of the world’s population — have little or no access to electricity. Remote locations and small nations lacking infrastructure and funding could benefit from using distributed generation.
Policy changes to encourage distributed generation
Recently San Francisco required that 15% of roof space be allocated for solar panel construction. San Francisco is not alone in this kind of initiative. Santa Monica now requires single family homes to have a minimum of 1.5 watts of solar power installed per foot of building space. Recently, South Miami became the first municipality in Florida and the first in the US outside of California with similar measures, showing that the trend is spreading throughout the United States.
This facilitates access to clean, reliable energy for everyone. Every person with the economics means to install solar and battery storage is reducing the likelihood of another large scale generation facility being built and reducing the likelihood of African and Hispanic Americans being subjected to pollution.
Additionally, jobs and opportunities will be created in the energy sector as demand for positions such as solar installer increases. With the proper programs, employment opportunities could be created for people from low income backgrounds, another way in which they can better their living conditions. This ought to be considered for all races and ethnicities, and there should be maximum and equal provision of opportunities without any bias.
While these are all practical steps to be taken, a change in mentality is an important factor that shouldn’t be overlooked. As with any new policy, we must ensure that there are no loop-holes in the legislation, to prevent people from getting around these requirements.
No matter where fossil fuel plants are built, they will always be located in a place that impacts the community around them. There can only be one conclusion: we must move away from large scale fossil fuel generating resources and transition to distributed generation and, in some cases, large-scale solar. Environmental justice is vital in establishing a better society for all.
