UC Davis

Clean energy technologies provide global benefits through climate mitigation and many local environmental benefits for consumers. However, the supply chains that produce them inevitably impose some environmental burden on the communities where they operate. To align with the principles of environmental justice, the burdens and benefits of clean energy supply chains should be distributed equitably, with decision-making processes that empower local communities to participate. Academic research can play a key role as a source of transparent information that addresses the concerns of frontline communities; however, this requires deliberate effort during the initial stages of research to understand what those concerns are and seek data that will respond to them. As a case study, this article analyzes public meetings about a developing lithium industry in Imperial, California, and reviews relevant literature to build a research agenda that is guided by the priorities of local stakeholders. We find that water consumption, public health impacts, local employment, and opportunities to participate are high-priority topics for community members. We also compare the content of discussions across groups, finding that participants in community-focused meetings mainly asked about the local impacts of the process, whereas state-led discussions focused on the sustainability of direct lithium extraction compared to conventional production methods. To address the priorities of frontline communities, we recommend evaluating water consumption in the context of regional availability, including local air emissions and waste streams in sustainability analyses, and monitoring the impact on local employment over time to ensure the promises made during development accrue to communities.