Intermountain Sustainability Summit
March 18, 2021

Bridging the Divide: Engaging Rural Communities on Climate Change and the Energy Transition
Presented by: Josh Craft, Utah Clean Energy; Max Buckland, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute; Don Albrecht, Western Rural Development Center; and Rebecca Titze, Utah Clean Energy; Suzanne Singer, Native Renewables

Utah (and the West’s) diverse rural communities have experienced significant economic challenges in recent years, as the demand for coal has fallen and work in agriculture and mining has become less labor intensive. In the near term, economic forecasts anticipate that these trends will continue as concerns about climate change grow and our transition away from fossil fuels proceeds. How we engage and work with our rural communities will be critical to achieving a fair and sustainable energy transition. This panel seeks to discuss with leaders in the field how they are engaging with rural communities and how others can be productive partners in this work.

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