Community Ownership in Fossil Fuel-Dependent Regions (2026-2027)

Background

Along the Gulf Coast’s so-called “Cancer Coast,” communities like Port Arthur, Texas, sit adjacent to some of the largest refinery and petrochemical complexes in the country. Residents experience stark environmental health disparities: Port Arthur ranks in the 99th percentile nationally for toxic air releases, and Black residents in Jefferson County face cancer incidence roughly 15% higher — and mortality more than 40% higher — than the Texas average.

As the United States accelerates toward a clean energy transition, new “green” infrastructure — such as wind energy and carbon removal projects — is often built directly alongside existing fossil-fuel facilities. For many environmental justice communities, this means industrial expansion without corresponding economic or health benefits. Traditional mechanisms like community benefits agreements help compensate host communities, but often fall short of addressing decades of cumulative harm, diminished political power and weakened public institutions.

This project will explore whether democratic, community-owned models of climate infrastructure could support more just and equitable transitions. By focusing on community ownership — rather than merely community benefits — the team will investigate governance structures that could build economic resilience, strengthen public health and expand local control over decarbonization pathways in Port Arthur and similar regions.

Project Description

In collaboration with the Port Arthur Community Action Network (PACAN), this project team will co-design and deploy a participatory, mixed-methods research process grounded in community priorities.

Task 1: Community workshops and rapid-appraisal surveys

The team will convene two full-day workshops in Port Arthur (approximately 20 participants each) with residents, labor leaders, faith communities, environmental justice advocates and small business owners. Facilitated activities will compare several climate-related infrastructure options — such as community solar, district-scale thermal systems, storage and transmission, and near-term carbon removal — to understand what “good” looks like locally. After each workshop, participants will complete a short survey to capture priorities, concerns, non-negotiables and ranked project preferences.

Task 2: Expert interviews on public, cooperative and community ownership models

Students will conduct approximately 15–20 interviews with practitioners who work in community solar, cooperatives, employee-owned firms and other non-private ownership structures. Interviews will identify governance mechanisms, financing strategies, regulatory barriers and engagement approaches relevant to ownership of climate infrastructure.

Task 3: Synthesis and validation with community partners

Findings from Tasks 1 and 2 will be cross-walked to produce:

A ranked shortlist of feasible ownership opportunities tailored to Port Arthur
Template terms for agreements covering hiring, benefit-sharing, air-quality monitoring, bill protections and community oversight
A stakeholder and coalition map
A policy brief outlining next steps for city, county and port authorities

Drafts will be shared with PACAN and workshop participants for refinement, ensuring accuracy, community benefit and reciprocity.

Anticipated Outputs

Ranked shortlist of community ownership opportunities for Port Arthur
Stakeholder and coalition map
Template MOU and CBA terms (benefit-sharing, monitoring, hiring, bill protections)
Policy brief for city, county and port authorities
Workshop report and rapid-appraisal survey analysis
Synthesis of expert interviews and transferable ownership models
Public-facing explainer and slide deck for PACAN
Academic manuscript on community ownership in just energy transitions

Student Opportunities

Ideally, this team will include 6 graduate students and 6 undergraduate students from fields such as public policy, environmental science, engineering, sociology, economics, global health, history and law. Skills in community-engaged research, legal analysis, applied economics, data analysis, or Spanish or Vietnamese fluency would be particularly valuable. Those with lived experience in Gulf Coast or environmental justice communities and those motivated by economic development, racial justice or public health are especially encouraged to apply.

Students will gain experience in:

Community-engaged research and ethical facilitation
Deliberative workshop design and small-group leadership
Survey design, coding and descriptive data analysis
Semi-structured interviewing and qualitative synthesis
Governance and ownership model design
Applied policy analysis, including cost–benefit and distributional impacts
Environmental justice and public health framing
Plain language writing for community and policy audiences

Selected students will have the opportunity to travel. Graduate students will take on differentiated roles by coordinating subteams, managing partner relationships, running methodological workshops and mentoring undergraduates. A graduate student will be selected to serve as project manager.

Timing

Summer 2026 – Spring 2027

Summer 2026:

Obtain IRB approval
Onboard PACAN and refine research questions
Conduct literature review on community and public ownership
Draft workshop agendas and surveys; translate materials

Fall 2026:

Conduct Workshop #1 with a small field team
Field the rapid-appraisal survey
Begin expert interviews

Spring 2027:

Conduct Workshop #2
Complete expert interviews
Finalize shortlist, coalition map, template agreement terms and policy brief
Create public-facing materials

Crediting

Academic credit available for fall and spring semesters